A Year In The Life Of Rafael Manoso
by christibabe
Summary: This is a sequel to Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle do Trenton. The story starts with Stephanie's 21st birthday and goes through Rafael's 1st birthday. His POV will be evident but Stephanie and Ranger play major roles of course as do the rest.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This will eventually be a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is not a good guy. Frank Plum fans may be upset as well, as he is not portrayed favorably, nor is Helen Plum. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 1: First Time With A Babysitter

Stephanie's POV:

I looked in the mirror and put the finishing touches on my makeup. I had just finished when I heard Rafael call out. My eyes widened as I felt my blouse opening of it's own accord. I grabbed my blouse to hold it together and as I made my way into the nursery I said, "Rafael, you have got to stop doing that to mommy."

I came to a stop at the crib where my 3 month old son was lying on his back waving his hands and kicking his feet. I gave him my stern look but lost it when I took one look at his laughing face. I picked up my baby and held him in my arms as he nursed. I made my way over to the rocking chair and sat down, absently rocking him as he nursed. I smiled as I told him how much I love him and was very happy he had come into our lives. I told him about all the changes that had taken place in my life over the past year, and that it was just a couple days away from the first time I'd ever seen his father. I told him all about how Ranger had helped me and changed my life in so many ways. The whole time I was talking to him, Rafael lay in my arms nursing, his eyes locked on mine.

I knew the minute Ranger entered the apartment and part of me reached out to him, letting him know where we were. Within seconds he was in the room with us. He smiled as he watched Rafael nurse. When I finally lifted the baby to my shoulder to burp him one final time, Ranger came over to lean down and kiss me. "I'll be ready in a couple minutes Babe."

I smiled and gave a nod before asking, "Is Ella coming down here or are we taking him down to Ella?"

"Ella will come up here so Rafael can sleep in his own bed."

I continued to rock my son even after he had burped and his eyes had closed. I loved sitting and rocking him. I could sit like this for hours with his small body nestled against me. Even at three months of age, my son was a force to be reckoned with. I smiled as I thought of his way of telling me he was hungry. It started on the day of his christening. Whenever Rafael was hungry my blouse would magically unbutton. I was grateful that he showed restraint when we were out in public at least. I had just laid him in the crib and re-buttoned my blouse when I heard the door open and Ella called out to let us know she was here. I smiled and made my way out to the kitchen. Ranger was already there talking with her. He turned when I walked into the room and his eyes darkened. I walked up to them and reached up to kiss Ranger.

Ella smiled and said, "You have a great time tonight and don't worry about a thing."

I smiled at her and replied, "Thank you for coming down. He just ate so he should be good till we get back, but if he happens to wake up and need something else to drink; you'll find some frozen packets that will thaw quickly in hot water."

"Of course dear. I'm sure we will get along just fine."

I hugged Ella and whispered, "I hope he doesn't tell you he's hungry the same way he tells me."

Ella just laughed and shook her head. Ranger took my hand and said, "If you need us just call my cell."

Ella nodded and we made our way to the elevator. Once inside the elevator Ranger pulled me to him and kissed me thoroughly. When we came up for air he said, "You look beautiful Babe."

I smiled and our eyes locked, "You look pretty good yourself."

We headed to the Turbo and Ranger made sure I was seated before getting in behind the wheel. In no time we were on our way to a yet undisclosed location. When Ranger told me we were going out tonight to celebrate my birthday, he neglected to tell me anything about where we would be eating. All he would tell me was to dress casual. I took in his black clad body and couldn't help the smile. He was wearing casual, black dress slacks, a black dress shirt, and black shoes. In the year I'd known him, I could count on one hand the number of times he wore something that wasn't black. I just hoped the navy blue dress slacks, royal blue blouse with gold chain belt at the waist, and 4" navy FMP's was the right mix for our destination. I'd pulled my hair up into a top knot. The royal blue lacy push up bra and matching thong set I'd put on was going to make it's debut when we returned home.

Ranger came to a stop at Massimo's Ristorante Caffe. Ranger managed to get a spot right by the door to the restaurant. He climbed out and came around to help me out. He had his arm around my waist and I was leaning my head against him as we entered. We were met by the maître de, and when Ranger gave his name we were shown to a room in the back. I frowned, wondering what was going on. I mean, the rooms were always reserved for parties and it was just the two of us. I looked at Ranger and he leaned down covering my mouth with his. I couldn't think, all I could do was react to the pleasure of the kiss. When he released me I heard a group of voices saying, "Surprise!"

I turned to see a room full of people. Connie and Tom, Lula and Tank, Val and David, Bobby, Lester, Hector, Ram, Woody, Binkie, Hal, Cal, Vince, Manny, Grams, Rosa, Maria and Carlos and all Ranger's brothers and sisters were among the mass of people in the room. My eyes widened in surprise. I turned to Ranger, "How did you manage?"

At that moment I felt him. I turned and Diesel was standing there smiling at me. "Hello Princess."

I felt the tears burn my eyes and tried to keep them from falling. Ranger pulled me into his arms and said, "I wasn't sure if we could pull off the surprise or not. We worked it so everyone else would do their best to stay away so they wouldn't give anything away. I was the only one who'd be in constant daily contact so no one gave me any details. I just had the name of the restaurant."

After making sure I said hello to everyone, we all sat down and the waiters and waitresses started serving the food. We had a great time. I had never had a birthday party before in my life. As a matter of fact, the only presents I'd ever gotten were from Val. Just then, Val came over to me and held out a package. I gave her a watery smile and said, "You didn't have to get me anything."

She hugged me and said, "I wanted to make up for all the birthdays I missed."

We had a wonderful time. The food was wonderful, and Ranger surprised everyone when he had a micro small piece of birthday cake. My eyes widened when he took a bite. He just smiled and leaned over and whispered, "Something tells me I'm going to need the extra energy once we get home."

I blushed. Ranger just chuckled and winked at me. There had been numerous times over the past two weeks when I'd sensed something was up. I was extremely grateful I hadn't given in to the urge to just open myself up and see what was going on. Diesel spoke softly so no one else could hear, "It's because you knew it was nothing bad, but a pleasant thing in store for you. We are all pleased with the progress you've made."

I raised an eyebrow. He looked at me like he was still puzzled about something. "What?" I asked.

"We still can't figure out how you can do that when you had never been able to do it before."

I smiled, "You mean raise just one eyebrow?"

He nodded.

"Have you noticed that Rafael can raise just one eyebrow? He's been able to do it since the day he was born."

"Really? Babies don't display that skill till they're much older."

I nodded. "At least not in context. Rafael has been able to raise his eyebrow in context since he was born."

Diesel shook his head. "At least you're not going into this blind. You have abilities yourself, even if you aren't aware of all of them. They will help you with your son."

I laughed, "He's a handful, but I love him with all my heart. Even though I'm happy to be here with all of you, I had a hard time leaving him at home."

Diesel's eyes lit with an emotion I recognized. I knew that's what everyone saw when I looked at Rafael. I reached out and put my hand on Diesel's arm. His eyes met mine. "I love you too Diesel. I have from the minute I knew you. I feel like you are part of my family."

"Thank you Princess. You are the child I will never have."

"Why can't you have children?"

Diesel frowned, "Because I'm unmentionable."

"I remember. You told me that the first time we met. But I still don't understand why you can't have a child of your own someday."

I could see he was thinking about what he would say to me, but wasn't having any luck with the reasoning. Finally, he looked at me like he'd just had a thought. "I never thought to ask the elders about it. I mean, I know two unmentionables aren't allowed to be together because one of the partners loses their powers. I just never thought to ask if that meant we couldn't get married or if it just meant we'd have to find a "normal" human. You've given me something to think about."

I grinned, "So glad to be of help. So, will you be able to join us for Halloween?"

He grinned and nodded. "Unless one of the other unmentionables goes off the grid and the elders need me to bring them back."

I nodded. "We're getting together at Grams house. We're going to transform the whole house."

Diesel gave me an uh oh look and I raised an eyebrow and waited for the question I knew was coming. "Is that wise? I mean, she does still live in the Burg."

I grinned, "That's the point. Can you imagine how many people are going to come by just to take a look? We're going to have the best candy too."

Diesel's eyes lit with amusement. "I'll be there Princess."

"Good to know."

After a wonderful dinner, Lula brought out party hats and the gifts were set out. I was led to a chair in the center and everyone crowded around while I opened the gifts and Randy took pictures of the event. I was touched by the love shown by each of the party goers. Once I'd opened all the gifts and posed with all the guests for pictures, it was time for the party to end. I thanked everyone for the wonderful party and told them all that this was the best birthday I'd ever had. Not only did I get a party that was the absolute best, but I had all of them in my life and I felt so much love. I wasn't the only one wiping tears from my eyes when I finished speaking.

Ranger put his arm around my waist and pulled me close. He spoke softly, "Love you Babe."

"I love you Ranger."

We left a short while later. Cal and Hector said they would take care of transporting all the gifts back to Haywood. Ranger drove us back to the apartment and we made it upstairs in no time. Ella met us at the door and quietly told us that Rafael never woke up once. We thanked her and when she asked how my party was I hugged her and told her I wished she and Luis could have been there. She smiled and said Luis wasn't feeling well and although she would have loved to be there for me, she had a wonderful time watching Rafael sleep. We hugged again and Ranger saw her to the elevator.

I quietly made my way into the nursery and came to a stop at the crib. I looked down at the sleeping form of my son and smiled. He looked so beautiful lying there sleeping. A couple minutes later Ranger joined me and put his arm around me. I leaned my head against his chest and for several minutes we just stood there watching our son sleep. I closed my eyes for a moment and then smiled. I looked up to Ranger and said, "He's asleep for the night."

Ranger smiled at me and led me into our bedroom where we celebrated my birthday by giving each other a very pleasurable night. The bra and panty set was a definite hit. I knew the minute Ranger left the bed the next morning and I sat up and yawned. "If you give me a couple minutes, we'll come with you."

Ranger leaned over and kissed me. "You get ready and I'll get Rafael."

I smiled. I made my way into the bathroom and answered the call of nature before brushing my hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. I brushed my teeth before heading to Ranger and Rafael. I reached them just as they were leaving the nursery. My eyes lit as I took in the sight of them. Ranger had dressed the baby in an outfit that matched his own. Rafael let out a yell and I felt the tug on my tank top. Ranger and I both chuckled as I took the baby and let him nurse. Ranger scrambled the feed so I could have some privacy as we made our way down to the gym. I had just finished nursing and Ranger took Rafael to burp him while I readjusted my top. When the elevator doors opened I was fully dressed once again.

When we entered the gym, the several of the guys stopped what they were doing to wave. By the grins on their faces, I knew that even though they hadn't seen anything, they were well aware of what I had been doing in the elevator. Most of them got right back to their workout. Tank, Lester and Bobby headed over.

Tank took Rafael out of my arms and asked the baby, "So my man how was your first time with a babysitter?"

I smiled, "Ella said he slept the whole time."

Tank grinned. "That's because he's a smart little dude."

I thought I saw Rafael wink but couldn't be sure.

Rafael's POV:

I woke up hungry and gave a yell. When momma came in she was saying, "Rafael, you have got to stop doing that to mommy."

I was waving my arms and kicking my feet. I couldn't help laughing. Momma looked at me with her stern look but she lost it pretty quickly. She picked me up and held me in her arms. I lost no time in latching onto her nipple and starting to suck. She sat in the rocker and we rocked as I nursed. I felt all warm and squishy inside when she told me how much she loved me and how happy she was that I had come into her life. She told me about all the changes that had happened in the past year, and that in a couple of days she would have known dad for a whole year. My eyes were locked onto hers as she talked to me. I loved times like this when mom held me and talked to me.

Pretty soon dad came home. I knew something was happening tonight, I just didn't know what. I sensed momma was a little uneasy about something, but I just focused on what she was doing now. After a few minutes, dad left and momma lifted me to her shoulder and rubbed my back. I let out a loud noise and she laughed. I felt my eyes getting heavy and let my eyelids close. She continued to hold me and rock. I loved it when momma would sit and hold me. When she put me down I wanted to open my eyes and look at her again, but I sensed she needed me to sleep so she'd feel better about leaving.

I kept my eyes closed till I knew she was no longer in the room, and then I opened them and let myself find her. She and dad were talking with Ella. Momma was telling her if I woke up there was frozen packets in the freezer. I wrinkled my nose. I hated drinking that shit. It wasn't the same as when momma would let me nurse. I could see momma and dad leave and for a second I felt funny inside. I closed my eyes when I sensed Ella nearing my room. She came in and whispered softly, "You beautiful child. You be good now. Your daddy has taken your momma to a special party because today is her birthday. All her friends have planned a surprise party for her. She's never had a birthday party before. Now you be the good boy I know you are tonight so we don't have to call her and spoil this night for her…okay?"

I thought for a couple minutes and then smiled. Momma's birthday. That's what was going on. Momma was going to her birthday party and Ella was staying with me. Okay….I could deal with this. I'd never been away from momma and dad at the same time before, but as long as Ella was here, I knew I would be safe. I let myself fall asleep and determined I'd give momma the whole night as her birthday present from me.


	2. Rafael's First Halloween

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This will eventually be a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is not a good guy. Frank Plum fans may be upset as well, as he is not portrayed favorably, nor is Helen Plum. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 2: Rafael's First Halloween

Stephanie's POV:

Once we'd finished our workout in the gym, Rafael and I headed back up to the apartment while Ranger elected to shower in the locker room. He had work outfits in his locker he could wear. I entered the apartment to find Ella was there leaving breakfast. As was our usual routine, she kept Rafael with her while I showered and dressed. Once I came out she handed the baby back to me and told me what an angel he was. I grinned as I looked down at my son. I carried him through to the nursery, changed his diaper and gave him the opportunity to nurse. Once he'd finished I picked out an outfit and changed him into it. Once I was satisfied with how he looked, I nodded and told him we were ready to get underway. I knew what he was thinking so I gave him a stern look and said, "Now Rafael, this might not be your favorite outfit, but your grandma Mazur got it for you and we wouldn't want to hurt her feelings now would we?"

I picked up Rafael and we headed for the kitchen where I set him in a bouncy seat. I was just getting ready to sit down when Ranger walked into the room. Ranger takes one look at the outfit Rafael's wearing and says, "Babe."

I put my hands on my hips and say, "I've already had this talk with Rafael. Don't you start too."

Ranger just shakes his head and gives Rafael a look. I thought I heard Ranger tell him, "Sorry son. If I would have known about the outfit I would have tossed it out." But I can't say for sure because I've gone to get the breakfast Ella left for us and his voice is barely a whisper. When I rejoin them, Ranger is holding Rafael on his lap reading the paper. My eyes widen in astonishment. My three month old son is reading the paper! I shake my head in wonder. I hadn't been able to read till I was 18 months old. I remembered Diesel's words from the night before. Yes, I had a heads up as to my son's abilities, but at this rate he was going to surpass me in no time. I smiled and thought, 'Proud of you son.'

I set Ranger's lox and bagel in front of him and my French toast, bananas and syrup at my own space. I raised an eyebrow as my gaze met Ranger's and he just shook his head. "He's fine where he is Babe. I think he likes the black and white contrast of the paper."

I smiled. "It's not the contrast that's holding his interest. He's reading the paper."

Ranger looked up at me and our eyes locked. He raised an eyebrow and his expression looked a little stunned. I nodded. He just shook his head and looked down at his son. We ate our breakfast and I told Ranger I was going shopping with Lula and Grams to pick out Halloween costumes. He froze and gave me a look like a deer caught in headlights. I laughed and told him to relax, I was getting him a Batman costume and I was going as Wonder Woman. The only costume I needed to look for was Rafael's. Lula was getting costumes for her and Tank and Grams wanted us to help her get a pip of a costume as she put it.

Ranger gave me a look and asked, "You're not going to get him a sissy costume are you Babe?"

I laughed and kissed him before lifting Rafael and asking, "Are you ready to go pick up Lula and Grams so we can do a little shopping?"

Rafael's eyes were twinkling as we were making our way towards the elevator. Ranger put his hand on my waist and rode down to 5 with us in the elevator. When the elevator stopped, Ranger kissed me and said, "Have a nice time shopping Babe. Don't go crazy with the costumes."

I grinned and said, "Don't get shot and be careful."

Rafael and I headed down to the garage and I buckled him in his car seat. I got in the driver's seat and headed to Gram's house where we were meeting Gram and Lula. I had no more than pulled into the drive when they were coming out the door and headed our way. I turned around and told Rafael that Grams and Lula must be in a hurry. I was reaching for the door handle to get out and help Grams when I noticed Lester was already making his way over to them. He helped Grams into the back beside Rafael and then stopped to talk to me as I rolled down the window.

Lester grinned and said, "I get to shadow you today. That way I can make sure you don't get my man some sissy costume."

I raised an eyebrow and gave Lester a stern look. "You don't have enough confidence in my ability to choose a costume for my son."

Lester looked torn between assuring me he trusted me and wanting to make sure Rafael's costume wouldn't be an embarrassment. I just smiled and suggested he leave his SUV and join us. After a moment of thought, he climbed into the back. We headed for Quaker Bridge Mall. I managed to get a parking spot right by the door. I got out and opened the back to get the stroller out. Lester reached in and lifted it out, making sure it was set up and ready to go before he went to help Grams out. Then he lifted Rafael out, car seat and all and attached the car seat to the stroller as it was meant to be attached.

I pushed the stroller and we made our way inside. Our first stop was the baby costume store. I couldn't believe all the costumes they had for infants. There had to be several thousand baby costumes. I found the most adorable pumpkin costume. I held it up so the others could take a look. Grams and Lula both wrinkled their noses, but I still thought it was cute. I added it to the basket and when Lester groaned I glared at him and told him I was just thinking about it. After about two more hours, I had four more costumes in the cart. A Bumble Bee, a Bunny, a Puppy, and a Winnie The Pooh. I loved all 5 of the costumes and couldn't decide which one I wanted to buy Rafael for Halloween. We headed for the check out; I figured I'd make a final choice once I was ready to pay.

When we reached the checkout, I was surprised to see all the different costumes in the cart. I looked at the others with widened eyes and asked, "How did all those costumes get in there?"

Lula shrugged, "Sheeeeet white girl, you weren't givin' us nothin' to choose from so we had to do some damage control."

I rolled my eyes and just set the costumes on the counter. "Okay, out of these nine outfits, we have to find one we can all live with."

Lester looked over all the costumes and shook his head, "There are only 2 there that have a chance of making the cut."

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "You picked out 2?"

He shook his head, "Nope. Just the one." he pointed to a Spiderman costume."

I shuddered. "There's no way I'm dressing my baby in any costume related to spiders."

Lester sighed, "Then I guess it's going to have to be the Captain America costume."

I bit my lip and looked at the costume he held up. My eyes went back to the cute little puppy costume I'd fallen in love with. "I really love this one though."

Grams and Lula made faces. Lula asked the pertinent question, "You think Batman is gonna like his boy wearin' that sissy ass costume?"

I sighed. I knew what Ranger would say if that's the costume I went home with, but I just thought it was so adorable. I lifted the costume and handed it to the cashier. "This is the one I want."

She rolled her eyes and handed it to another girl and said, "Bag it up will ya?" as she totaled my purchase.

Next we headed to the adult costume store. It only took Grams 30 minutes to pick out her costume. She chose a Gypsy Fortune Teller costume that looked very real on her. When we went up to pay, I asked for the costumes I'd ordered. I paid for my purchases and Lula picked up the costumes she'd ordered for herself and Tank. Lester had picked out a Flash costume. Lester carried our bags and we headed out to the Cayenne.

On the way out to the Cayenne, Rafael let out a yell and I felt a tug on my shirt. I smiled at him and asked him to hold on for a few minutes and he winked. I handed Lester the keys and got in back so I could nurse him on the way to Pino's. I used one of his blankets for a little privacy. Lester was a gentleman. He kept his eyes on the road the whole time. Rafael finished nursing just before we parked at Pinos'. Lester helped Grams out before coming around and taking Rafael so I could readjust my top. I climbed out and Lester handed Rafael back to me.

When we entered, the place was packed. There was only one booth left. We sat down and in no time the waitress was at our table making eyes at Lester. Lula, Grams, and I all rolled our eyes and smiled. The waitress asked Les, "What can I get ya handsome?"

Lester smiled and replied, "Two loaded pizzas and four teas no lemon."

The waitress smiled and batted her eyes before walking away. When she brought us our drinks, she nearly upset the tray in my lap. Les shot her a glare and she paled and profusely apologized. When she brought our pizzas, she carefully set them down in the middle of the table before making her getaway.

I moaned with my first bite of pizza and didn't stop till I'd eaten my last piece. Once we'd finished, I dropped Grams and Lula off at Gram's house so Lula could get her car and get back to work at the bonds office. Lester got back in his SUV and followed us back to Rangeman. I knew Rafael was fighting sleep. He'd had a busy morning and we were now into his naptime. I turned on some soothing music hoping it would help settle him so he could fall asleep, but when I pulled in the garage he was still wide awake. I got out and had him unbuckled him from his seat when Lester came over and got the bags out of the back. He got in the elevator with us and we headed up to 7. When I unlocked the apartment door and walked in, Ranger was standing there.

Ranger put his arms around me and covered my mouth with his. When he released my mouth he whispered, "Remember where we left off Babe. Rafael sleeping?"

"He just went out as we came in. I think he figures it's your turn to watch our backs."

Ranger put his hand on the back of our son's head and kissed the top of his head. He whispered, "Proud of you son."

Lester cleared his throat, "Uh, where you want the bags Beautiful?"

Ranger stepped back and took the bags from Lester. "Thanks." He turned and asked me, "You need to go anywhere else Babe?"

"No. I'm going to stay in. I have some searches Rodriquez asked for help on. I think I'll do some of them while Rafael sleeps."

"Okay Babe. I'll see you later." He kissed me before he and Lester headed for the stairs.

Once they'd left, I headed into the nursery and laid Rafael down in his crib. He was sound asleep. I smiled and laid my hand on my son's head. I whispered, "I love you." Before gently covering my son and heading back to the den.

When Halloween arrived, I was anxious to get to Gram's so I could see how the guys had transformed her house. I'd drawn up a basic plan of where everything should be and that, but when I handed it over to Hector I told him it was okay if he needed to change anything. I trusted him. The day started out like most other days. Rafael and I went down to the gym with Ranger and Rafael played on the mat while I had my workout. I collected Rafael and we headed upstairs. By the time we were both cleaned up and dressed, Ranger was joining us for breakfast.

Rafael and I had a wonderful day until I went to put his costume on him. I couldn't believe the adorable puppy costume I had bought was nowhere in sight. Instead, all I had to work with was the Captain America costume no one took credit for. I quickly checked Ranger's and my costumes and they were just as I'd ordered. I knew no one else could have done this because they were in front of me and the girl that had been asked to package the costumes was behind me. I closed my eyes and focused. Suddenly I saw a scene that had my eyes opening wide in stunned amazement. I smiled and carried the bag into the nursery.

I knew by the look on my son's face that he knew he'd been found out. He gave me his best smile with a twinkle in his eyes. I couldn't hold my stern face any longer and laughed saying, "You are in so much trouble young man."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, "Babe?"

I shook my head, "Our son switched costumes at the store."

Ranger looked down into Rafael's smiling face and asked, "Did you do that to mommy?"

Rafael winked. Ranger and I both laughed. When I pulled out the costume that was in the bag, Ranger asked me what I'd picked. I told him a puppy dog costume and he winced before leaning down and whispering, "Proud of you son." I just shook my head and told Ranger to go get ready while I got Rafael ready and then he could keep him occupied while I dressed.

When I carried Rafael into the master bedroom it was to find Ranger strapping on his utility belt. I handed the baby to him and asked him what happened to the rest of the costume. He raised an eyebrow and said, "This is as good as it gets Babe. I'm not wearing tights."

I laughed and shook my head. "I have to say you're wearing more than I thought you would. I wonder how Lula's faring with Tank."

Ranger smirked, "What kind of costume did she get him?"

"She wouldn't say. Said it was going to be a big surprise."

Ranger kissed my cheek and told me they would wait in the den for me. I nodded and went to work changing into my costume. I shaved, shampooed, showered and dressed. I brushed my hair out and left it long the way Wonder Woman always wore her hair. I added mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow as well as lip gloss. I looked in the mirror and decided I had gotten as close as I could. I went out to join the guys. Ranger's eyes darkened when he looked at me and I felt an answering desire. He handed me Rafael and put a cloak around my shoulders. He wrapped his arm around my waist and we made our way down to the Cayenne. Ranger strapped Rafael in his car seat while I got in and then he slid behind the wheel. When we reached Gram's house, he helped me out before getting Rafael out of his car seat, and then he wrapped his arm around my waist and led us up to the front door.

Rafael's POV:

We went shopping for my Halloween costume the day after momma's birthday. We'd gone down to the gym like we did every day so momma and dad could do their workouts. Once they were done, momma and I headed back to the apartment. Ella was putting breakfast on the counter. When we walked in, she took me from momma like she usually did. This was what Ella called our time. That way momma could take a shower and dress. Once momma finished, she came back and took me from Ella. Now it was my turn to get ready. Momma took me into my bedroom and gave me a bath in a tub she put on my changing table. I didn't get to have much fun because there was practically no water in the thing. Once I was clean and dry, she put one of those diaper things on me and then grabbed an outfit. She dressed me in the worst outfit I've ever seen. I mean seriously dude, I'm a guy. I can't do this orange and yellow shit.

She gave me a stern look and said, "Now Rafael, this might not be your favorite outfit, but your grandma Mazur got it for you and we wouldn't want to hurt her feelings now would we?"

I look away and wonder if I can avoid answering. Mom gently turns me to her and smiles at me. "Stop avoiding the issue."

I sigh, and then I grin at mom to let her know everything is okay. She smiles and kisses my cheek. I guess it won't be so bad. She picked me up and we headed back for the kitchen where she set me in the bouncy seat. She was sitting down when dad walked into the room. He took one look at my outfit and said, "Babe."

She put her hands on her hips and said, "I've already had this talk with Rafael. Don't you start too."

Dad just shook his head and gave me a look as he said, "Sorry son. If I would have known about the outfit I would have tossed it out."

I grin at dad and let him know it's good. He lifted me out of the bouncy and set me in his lap. He held me securely as he lifted the paper and opened it so he could read. I let my eyes wander over the page that's available to me and find an article about a rash of muggings that has been going on. I hear momma say 'Proud of you son.' And I smile.

Momma set dad's breakfast in front of him and raised her eyebrow. Dad just shook his head and said, "He's fine where he is Babe. I think he likes the black and white contrast of the paper."

Momma smiled. "It's not the contrast that's holding his interest. He's reading the paper."

I smiled. There was no putting anything over on my momma. When we got done with breakfast, momma took me down to the Cayenne and buckled me into my car seat before we headed for Grandma's house. They were waiting for us when we got there. Uncle Lester helped grandma into her seat and then he got in beside me. When we got to the mall, Lester took me out of the car without taking me out of my seat, and he hooked my seat into the stroller. Momma pushed the stroller and we headed into the mall. We made our way into a store that was wall to wall costumes.

Momma picked out several and I was worried the others might actually let her buy one of those for me to wear. Uncle Lester picked out an okay Spiderman costume, but I knew there was no way momma would let me wear _anything_ to do with spiders. I looked around and took matters into my own hands. I found the Captain America costume as we were nearing the checkout. It didn't take much for one of the customers to put it in the cart for me. I smiled and watched as the lady gasped and looked all dreamy eyed at me. One hurdle down, now I just had to make sure the right costume got in the bag.

Momma was surprised to see all the different costumes in the cart. She looked at the others with widened eyes and asked, "How did all those costumes get in there?"

Lula shrugged, "Sheeeeet white girl, you weren't givin' us nothin' to choose from so we had to do some damage control."

Momma rolled her eyes and just set the costumes on the counter. "Okay, out of these nine outfits, we have to find one we can all live with."

Lester looked over all the costumes and shook his head, "There are only 2 there that have a chance of making the cut."

She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "You picked out 2?"

He shook his head, "Nope. Just the one." he pointed to a Spiderman costume.

Momma shuddered. "There's no way I'm dressing my baby in any costume related to spiders."

Lester sighed, "Then I guess it's going to have to be the Captain America costume."

Momma bit her lip and looked at the costume he held up. Her eyes went back to the cute little puppy costume she'd fallen in love with. "I really love this one though."

Grandma and Lula made faces. Lula asked the pertinent question, "You think Batman is gonna like his boy wearin' that sissy ass costume?"

Momma sighed. She seemed to hesitate for a minute before she lifted the puppy costume and handed it to the cashier. "This is the one I want."

Okay, stay calm. Time for damage control. I looked at the girl who was bagging up my costume and focused. She looked at the costume and then at me. She set the costume down and looked at the others. She went to pick up the Spiderman costume but that's not the one I wanted so I sent a little zap and she pulled her hand back quickly before moving on to the Captain America. She lifted it and put it in the bag. I momentarily felt bad that momma wasn't getting the costume she liked, but this was my first Halloween and I wasn't going around looking like some dorky dog. I mean I'm a dude, I needed a kick ass costume. I released a sigh of relief when we left the shop and headed to pick up the others outfits.

When we were finally headed out to the Cayenne, I was getting pretty hungry. I let out a yell and momma felt the tug on her top. She smiled at me and asked me to hold on for a few minutes and I winked to let her know I was on board with that. She climbed in back with me and fixed one of my blankets over her so she could have some privacy while I nursed. I knew Lester was straining to get a peek and fixed his wagon but good. He wasn't able to look anywhere but straight ahead without getting one hell of a zap. When I heard momma think he was being a perfect gentleman I thought yeah right but otherwise gave no indication of my thoughts. When we got to Pino's, Lester took me in his arms so momma could adjust her top. I gave him one of my narrow eyed looks and the dude had the nerve to smile and wink at me. Seriously dude, that's my momma you were trying to get a peek at. I smiled and Lester suddenly had a pained look on his face. Yup. I think he got my message. As soon as momma got out of the Cayenne, Lester handed me back and we made our way inside.

Grandma and Lula got on the inside of the booth and momma sat on one side and Lester on the other. Momma held me up on her shoulder so she could help me burp. In no time the waitress was at our table making eyes at Lester. The waitress asked Lester, "What can I get ya handsome?"

Lester smiled and replied, "Two loaded pizzas and four teas no lemon."

The waitress smiled and batted her eyes before walking away. When she brought the drinks, she nearly upset the tray in momma's lap. I gave her a look and saw the expression on her face. She thought momma and Lester were a couple. I rolled my eyes, lady get real. There's no way momma would be with anyone besides my dad. I could tell she was trying to make momma disappear. She thought if momma was all wet she'd leave and the field would be open with Lester. I righted the tray and sent her enough of a zap to get her attention. Nobody messed with my momma. Lester shot her a glare and she paled and profusely apologized. When she brought our pizzas, she carefully set them down in the middle of the table before making her getaway.

Watching momma eat is poetry in motion. In no time the pizza was gone and we were on our way back to Grandma's house to drop her and Lula off. Lula was planning on heading back to the bonds office to work for another couple hours. Once momma and I were finally on our way back to Haywood I felt my eyes drooping but I determined not to fall asleep until we were safely home and I could hand momma off to dad. I knew once we were home he would keep her safe. I managed to keep my eyes open and stay alert until momma had parked the Cayenne and lifted me out of my car seat. When momma turned to head to the elevator, Lester joined us. He rode up to 7 with us, carrying the bags up for momma. By now I could barely hold my eyes open I was so tired. We entered the apartment and dad was there. I smiled sleepily and knew I could finally close my eyes. I was asleep in seconds.

On Halloween, momma and I had a wonderful day. When she came in with the bag that held the costume, I knew my number was up. I gave her my best smile and she couldn't hold her stern look for long. She caved, and laughing she told me, "You are in so much trouble young man."

Dad raised an eyebrow and asked, "Babe?"

She shook her head, "Our son switched costumes at the store."

Dad looked down into my smiling face and asked, "Did you do that to mommy?"

I winked. Momma and dad both laughed. She pulled out the costume that was in the bag, and dad asked her what she'd picked. She told him a puppy dog costume and he winced before leaning down and whispering, "Proud of you son." I smiled.

Once momma and dad had got ready, we made our way to grandma's house. When we got there, dad carried me while he had his arm wrapped around momma's waist. I could tell by the decorations this was going to be one cool party. I was sitting high in dad's arms looking around at the front yard that had about a dozen white tombstone set around. By each stone there was a dummy with fake blood all over them and they were in different poses. There were cobwebs hanging from the trees and in the middle of each cobweb was a giant spider. Mom shuddered as we got too close to one of the spiders and I narrowed my eyes and waved my hand. Next thing I know the spider is whirling through the air, cobweb and all. I look around and see the others are well out of our way and won't give momma any problems. My eyes seek her out to make sure she is okay and I see her looking at me with such love in her eyes. It makes me glow.

Momma rang the doorbell and my eyes widened as a huge green thing opened the door. The shirt was ripped to shreds and barely hanging on the guy at the door. The pants seemed to have been ripped at the seams but covered everything. I laughed as I got my first glimpse of Uncle Tank. I smiled as I wondered how Aunt Lula got him to dress up as the Incredible Hulk. Next to the big guy was a lady in a black dress that seemed too small for her. Her breasts were practically spilling out of the dress and I felt my cheeks turning pink. Aunt Lula was dressed as Elvira, mistress of the night. Aunt Lula was pushing the fake hair behind her and telling us to come in. I can see Aunt Lula looking at me with an intenseness. I know she would never hurt me, it feels more like she has this huge desire to have something of her own. I look into her eyes and see a sadness she is unable to mask. Aunt Lula reaches out and takes me out of dad's arms and cuddles me close. She turns and walks into the house talking quietly to me about how she needs the practice on holding a little baby like me because she's gonna have a baby real soon herself. I'm puzzled by this because I know she's not going to have a baby, at least not the way most people do. I wonder if this is related to the incredible sadness. I cuddle closer to her and let myself focus. Suddenly I see a little girl with Aunt Lula's love of color and Uncle Tank's self-confidence. She is a beautiful little girl and I know we will be good friends. When she opens the fridge to get drinks, I see another door opening and understand the sadness I sensed earlier. I snuggle into her neck and close my eyes letting her know everything will turn out this time. I let her know that this momma won't want to keep her little girl. She wants her to have a family and will be very happy to let her and Uncle Tank adopt her little girl. I let her know that she's right to include the other momma in their life by letting her visit and be as much a part of the family as she can be. That its Aunt Lula's big heart that has drawn the other momma to her.

We take the drinks back into the other room and when we reach the others Uncle Tank takes me into his arms. He shakes his head and tells me I am getting to look more and more like dad every day. He takes Lula's hand in his and looks at my momma and dad. "Lula and I will hopefully have a baby of our own in another few months."

Momma hugs Lula and tells her she couldn't be happier for her. Lula gets that sad look again and I see momma focus on Lula for a moment and then she smiles. She whispers to her not to worry. Everything will turn out this time. About that time Uncle Lester comes out to see what is keeping all of us. We head into the living room and join the others. As we're walking into the living room, Uncle Lester asks, "Did you go back and exchange costumes Beautiful? I thought you were set on the puppy costume."

Momma laughed, "I was. I figured without Rafael though. Seems he arranged for a different costume to come home with us."

Lester laughed and bumped my fist with his. I smiled and winked at him. Everyone had a wonderful time. There was punch with eyeballs in it, cake with chocolate frosting and candy bones lying all over on the top, and there was party mix. There was a tongue splat game as well as an eye splat game and lots of music and dancing. A couple times the guys would try and sneak up on momma and scare her. I couldn't help but laugh at the expressions on their faces when they got zapped before they even got within three feet of her. When she would turn around and ask them what they were doing they just shook their heads and muttered nothing, before looking around to see who might have seen them. When my gaze was the only one they met they relaxed and went back to what they had been doing before trying to scare momma. Once they were gone, momma's gaze would meet mine and she would smile with such love and pride. I could hear her saying, 'Thank you son, I'm so proud of you. I love you.' without saying a word. Then I would smile and say, 'I love you too momma.'

My first Halloween was everything I could have hoped for.


	3. Rafael's First Parade

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This will eventually be a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is not a good guy. Frank Plum fans may be upset as well, as he is not portrayed favorably, nor is Helen Plum. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

**Special Note: Although there are millions of people out there who respect our veterans and hold them in the highest of esteem, there are the unfortunate few who continue to show disrespect. I read a scene in a book many years ago that had the onlookers booing the Vietnam War Vets as their part of the parade went by. It was based on a true story. I can't remember the story, but I still remember this part of the story. Unfortunately I have heard people put these Vets down for their part in that war. The scene I have created is from my own thoughts as to a worse case scenario and has no basis as being part of a published book as far as I know, nor is it based on fact. Please understand I am in no way implying that this is the norm and mean no offense by the scene in this chapter. I hope you will like how they are dealt with.**

Chapter 3: Rafael's First Parade

Ranger's POV:

I placed the phone back in it's cradle and sat for several minutes deciding what I was going to do with the information I just received. To say what I learned pissed me off was an understatement. I was beyond pissed to think there were factions out there that would do this on a federal holiday that honored our armed forces. My eyes narrowed as I contemplated my actions. Suddenly I smiled and stood, making my way to my office door I jerked the door opened and called out, "All hands on deck."

I exited my office and every man was there standing at attention waiting for his orders. I nodded and looked over my men. I told them what I'd just learned from the call I had just taken. I could see by their expressions that they too shared my anger. I told the men what I was thinking and asked for input. When I asked for volunteers, there wasn't a man who wasn't willing to join in on what I was planning. I nodded and told the guys we would have a skeleton crew and the rest would be on the parade mission. When I dismissed the men, I headed towards the stairwell. I needed some strategy, and lucky for me I had the best strategist upstairs in my apartment.

When I entered the apartment, Babe was lying on the floor with Rafael. He was laughing and rolling around on the floor as she watched him with loving eyes. When I stopped to watch them, she turned so she could look at me. I wasn't surprised she knew something was wrong.

Stephanie's POV:

I was lying on the floor with Rafael, watching him roll around on the floor and laugh when I sensed Ranger had joined us. I turned so I could look at him and knew something was wrong. I sat up and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ranger strode forward and crouched down near Rafael. He put a gentle hand on our son's head and took a few moments. I waited till he was ready to tell me, sensing that what he had to say was royally pissing him off. After several minutes he turned to me and said, "I need a strategist Babe."

"What do you need me to do?"

His gaze met mine and I felt his love reaching out to enfold me in an embrace. "I just got off the phone with Joe Juniak. It seems they're expecting trouble at the Veteran's Day Parade. There have been threats made that if there are any Vietnam War Vet's in the parade, they won't live through the day."

I raised an eyebrow and met his gaze. I understood his anger. I narrowed my eyes and said, "I need the parade route and all security measures in place."

Ranger nodded, "You'll have it."

Ranger sat down and lifted Rafael into his arms. I moved over and leaned against him. Ranger wrapped his arm around me and we sat there for a long time lost in thoughts. Finally, Ranger kissed me before placing a kiss on the top of Rafael's head. He stood and said, "I need to get back to work Babe. I'll see you in a bit."

I nodded. Once he was gone I turned to Rafael and said, "Those meanies are gonna wish they'd never tangled with your daddy. Can you imagine threatening people who fought for this country just because they fought in Vietnam? Let's go plan some strategy little man."

I stood with Rafael and made my way into Ranger's office here in the apartment. I knew he wouldn't mind if we used his office. I grabbed a bouncy seat and in no time was settled before the computer in Ranger's home office. I booted up the computer and decided to do some background searches to see what I could pick up. After a couple hours, I had all the information. I couldn't believe these guys had made it this easy. My eyes narrowed and I focused. I saw it all and smiled because apparently it was that easy. I composed an email and uploaded all the information before sending the message to Ranger. I received a response within a few minutes. _'Thanks Babe. We'll take it from here.' _I sent another email back to Ranger telling him there would be consequences if I wasn't included in the planning as well as the mission itself. I had no intention of standing on the sideline while they handled this. I could see the smile on his face through the next email. _'Wouldn't be the same without you Babe.' _I wrote back 'damn skippy.'

In the next few days we did a lot of planning. Several of the guys planned to take part in the parade. I couldn't wait to see the guys in their turnout gear. There would be a group of 15 men dressed in Rangeman black, and the show they would put on would have that group of panty wastes scared to death. The guys would be marching with the Vietnam Vet's and when the protestors started their shit, the guys were going to take care of them. Rafael and I would be driving the vehicle Uncle Joe would be riding in.

We couldn't ask for a nicer day for the parade. The weather was unseasonably warm and it was perfect for riding in a convertible. We were behind the Vietnam Vet's in the parade and I had no trouble keeping us in the perfect location. I was ready to put the CD in and was scanning the crowd, letting myself focus to see if there was anyone else out there we needed to worry about. It was getting closer to the time and although any other time I had to preform I would have an attack of nerves, this time there was no such attack. I think it was because it was part of my strategy. I watched as the group ahead of us reached their mark and took up positions. I popped the CD in and nodded at Uncle Joe. He leaned forward and handed me the microphone. I took it with my right hand and continued to drive with my left. The music started and I looked out at the crowd of malcontents as I started to sing:

_(God Bless the USA- Lee Greenwood  
Also god bless all the victims who died on 9/11)_

If tomorrow all the things were gone,  
I'd worked for all my life.  
And I had to start again,  
with just my children and my wife.

I'd thank my lucky stars,  
to be livin here today.  
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom,  
and they can't take that away.

And I'm proud to be an American,  
where at least I know I'm free.  
And I wont forget the men who died,  
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,  
next to you and defend her still today.  
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,  
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,  
to the hills of Tennessee.  
Across the plains of Texas,  
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,  
and New York to L.A.  
Well there's pride in every American heart,  
and its time we stand and say.

That I'm proud to be an American,  
where at least I know I'm free.  
And I wont forget the men who died,  
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,  
next to you and defend her still today.  
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,  
God bless the USA.

And I'm proud to be and American,  
where at least I know I'm free.  
And I wont forget the men who died,  
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,  
next to you and defend her still today.  
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,  
God bless the USA.

The group erupted and started charging. Ranger and the guys took them out and had them down and handcuffed inside of seconds. Suddenly there were lightning bolts jumping through the air and screams. Pretty soon more people were coming forward and sitting down by those already on the sidewalk. I looked down at my son and noticed the huge smile he had on his face. I guess we didn't have to worry about any of the group getting away. Rafael looked up at me and winked. I could swear I heard him say, 'Naw, I got your back on this one momma.'

Rafael's POV:

I was rolling around on the floor when I sensed dad had entered the apartment. Momma asked him what was wrong and he told us what he'd been told by Uncle Joe. Then dad asked momma if she could plan some strategy for him. I smiled, 'Time to kick some moron asses.' Dad picked me up and held me in his arms, and when momma joined us he wrapped an arm around her and held us close for quite some time. When he finally stood to leave, momma turned to me and said, "Those meanies are gonna wish they'd never tangled with your daddy. Can you imagine threatening people who fought for this country just because they fought in Vietnam? Let's go plan some strategy little man."

I watched momma work at the computer and knew she had a good grasp of the situation. She wondered if it could be this easy and I knew it was. The people planning this weren't the brightest crayons in the box. Once momma and dad got done with them they wouldn't want to be anywhere around them or the state of New Jersey. I felt something else though. I smiled. I had every confidence that momma and dad could handle this situation, but I was hoping I got to have a little fun too. My smile grew wider and I started to laugh.

On the day of the parade I sat in my car seat beside momma. Uncle Joe was in the back riding with us. Everything was planned. At just the right moment, Uncle Joe leaned forward and handed momma the microphone and she had such a beautiful voice when she sang God Bless The USA. Once she had finished the song, the group everyone was watching started charging. Dad and the guys took them out and had them down and handcuffed inside of seconds. There were several members who were staying back in the crowd. They had been vocal during meetings and they were the ones behind the scene being created. They just didn't want to go to jail for their actions. I smiled. I narrowed my eyes and thought of all the people they were willing to hurt with their actions. All the mommas and dads, grandmas, grandpas, nieces and nephews, wives, husbands, and children. They didn't care what they did to the families of these brave soldiers they were targeting. Suddenly lightning bolts started jumping through the air and there were screams each time one hit. Soon, those on the sidelines had no choice but to come forward and sit beside their fellow co-conspirators. Momma looked down at me and I know she saw my huge smile. She was thinking they didn't have to worry about any of the group getting away. I looked up at her and winked as I thought, "Naw. I got your back on this one momma.'

As Uncle Joe made his speech about honoring all the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom, I got a funny feeling inside. I knew my dad had been in war zones and run missions to help our country, and I knew my momma worked behind the scenes as his strategist. I felt so much pride for them and for all the Veterans joined here with us. There was one man who drew my gaze. He was sitting in a wheel chair. When he saw me watching him he turned and smiled at me.

I returned his smile and the man spoke softly to momma as if he was afraid she would ignore him, "How old is your little boy?"

Momma turned to him and smiled, "He's nearly 4 months old."

The man's face looked shocked that momma had talked to him. I could have told him momma's not like those people in that crowd. She's one in a million. Momma saw the man's expression and raised an eyebrow, "Is something wrong?"

"No ma'am. But most people don't talk to me. I fought in Vietnam."

Momma smiled, "I know. You fought in a war that whether you believed in the cause or not, you fought because that's what your country asked of you. You fought because you are a good soldier and a good human being. You put the welfare of your country and it's people above your own. I'd just like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart." and then momma kissed the man on the top of his head.

I smiled as a tear fell on the man's cheek and he whispered, "You're welcome."

My momma had a heart of gold. The man looked like he was proud of what he'd done as he should be.


	4. Rafael's First Thanksgiving

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This will eventually be a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is not a good guy. Frank Plum fans may be upset as well, as he is not portrayed favorably, nor is Helen Plum. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 4: Rafael's First Thanksgiving

Stephanie's POV:

I was looking forward to Thanksgiving. Ranger had agreed to let me use the third floor again and we decided to continue the tradition we started last year by inviting all the Rangeman employees and their families as well as all our friends. I used the computer to set up planning sessions between Lula, Grams, Ella and I as well as Maria, Rosa, Celia, Lisandra, Gisel, and Elaine. It didn't take us long at all to get everything down. I just hoped it was as big a turn out as last year.

Once we had everything settled we made our way back to Rangeman. I thanked Ella for helping us get everything planned and unbuckled Rafael from his seat. He was smiling as I lifted him into my arms. I put my face to his belly and rubbed. Rafael squealed with laughter and grabbed my hair with his little hands. I joined his laughter and kissed his forehead. "Come on little man. Let's go up and see what daddy's doing."

When I turned to head over to the elevator, Ella was there waiting for us, smiling. Once we entered, the doors closed and we stopped on the 5th floor. Ella told me to take care and I stepped off while she continued on up to 6. I made my way to Ranger's office with Rafael in my arms. His little hands were clutching my t-shirt as I carried him, his little legs on either side of my body as one of my arms was wrapped around his back and the other rested under his bottom. I knocked on Ranger's door and when I was bid enter, we went inside.

Ranger stood and met us at the door. He had a smile on his face and he lifted Rafael into his arms before leaning down to cover my mouth with his. When he pulled back, his eyes were dark with desire and I knew he saw an answering desire in my eyes. He gave me another light kiss on the lips and then turned to Rafael and smiled as he put his hand on our son's head. "What have you two been up to?"

I smiled and replied, "We were just at Grams going over the plans for Thanksgiving. I brought a sign-up sheet for the guys."

Ranger nodded. "They're looking forward to it Babe."

I grinned. "I'm glad they want to do it again. I had so much fun last year."

"What are your plans for the rest of the day Babe?"

I leaned up and whispered in his ear, "I thought I'd take a bubble bath and take a long nap."

When I looked up into his eyes they were dark with desire. Rafael chose that moment to make his presence known. I felt my top slip down and Ranger and I both started laughing. Ranger kissed the baby on the top of the head and said, "I don't think he was trying to help me out. I think he wants you to himself right now Babe."

I smiled and said, "Yes, but once he's done, he'll be taking a long nap himself."

Ranger smiled and leaned down to whisper, "Hurry up and finish son so dad can have some mommy time."

Rafael stopped nursing long enough to smile and wink at Ranger. I laughed and reached up to kiss him again before saying, "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, "I think I better walk with you Babe. I don't think the guys need to see you nursing the baby."

I blushed, having forgotten what I was doing in the heat of his kiss. Ranger lifted a lightweight blanket that was on his sofa and placed it over Rafael and me so no one would be able to see me nursing. He wrapped his arm around me and led me to the elevator. Once we were in the apartment, Ranger removed the blanket and led us into the den where he sat holding me as I nursed our son. Once I laid a sleeping Rafael down in his crib, Ranger lifted me into his arms and carried me into our bedroom. He slowly stripped me down before removing his own clothes and he spent the next four hours making us both happy.

I opened my eyes and looked around. Ranger was still sleeping so I slipped out of bed and decided to go peek in on Rafael. I entered the room and saw he was still sleeping. I noticed there was an empty bottle on the stand by the rocker. I went over and picked it up. There was a note beside it from Ella.

_Dear Stephanie and Ranger,_

_Just wanted to let you know I stopped by to leave a few dishes for your dinner. While I was here I peeked in on Rafael. He was awake and seemed to be a little hungry so I warmed up a frozen packet for him. He was such a good boy and finished the whole thing. The little angel went right back to sleep._

_Ella_

I smiled and carried the bottle out to the kitchen and took out the dishes she had brought down for dinner. I was just setting them on the counter when I felt arms wrapping around my waist from behind. Ranger nuzzled my neck and said, "I see Ella has been up."

"Yes. She even fed Rafael a bottle."

Ranger lifted an eyebrow at that because we both knew Rafael would normally only drink from the bottle when he was starving and I wasn't home. Ranger smiled and shook his head. I knew how he was feeling. Our son never ceased to amaze me. Ranger turned the oven on and set the dishes in to heat. While we waited for the dishes to heat up, we made our way into the den and sat down to watch the news. The timer for the oven dinged at the same time Rafael gave a yell and my top headed south. Ranger and I chuckled and he went to the kitchen while I went to get Rafael.

I walked into the nursery and smiled at my son. "How's momma's little man?"

I picked him up and took him over to the changing table where I changed his diaper. I lifted him in my arms and we headed into the kitchen. Ranger had set our dinner on the table and served everything up. When I joined him, he made sure I was seated before taking his own seat. I nursed Rafael while we ate and talked about the plans that had been made for Thanksgiving. Once we finished eating, Ranger cleared the dishes and took Rafael so I could straighten my top. We made our way back to the den and cuddled together while we watched a documentary, with Rafael snuggled between us.

I loved sitting like this, with Ranger holding me and Rafael. I felt so much love emanating from both of them. We'd been sitting like this for nearly two hours, but I knew I would have to move soon. Rafael was hungry and I wouldn't let him continue to be uncomfortable when I could fix it. As much as I hated to move, I looked up at Ranger and said, "I'll be right back."

I went out to the kitchen and started the hot water running. I grabbed a packet out of the freezer and put it under the stream of water. While that was thawing I got out the box of cereal I had just bought and shook some into a small bowl. I added the now warmed breast milk and stirred the cereal till it was the right consistency. Once it was the way I wanted, I carried it through to the den along with a hand towel. Ranger raised an eyebrow when he saw what I was carrying.

I grinned, "You want to hold him or should I use the bouncy?"

"I'll hold him Babe."

I sat on the sofa facing them and carefully scooped up a spoonful of cereal and held it to Rafael's mouth. He opened his mouth and I put the spoon in his mouth. He took the bite but immediately started spitting it out as he made a face. Ranger caught the cereal in the towel I'd handed him and grimaced. "I don't think he likes that stuff Babe."

I put some on the spoon and touched it to my tongue. I started gagging and Ranger just smiled. I held the spoon to his mouth and he ate the whole bite. He nodded, "Taste okay to me Babe."

I laughed as I saw Rafael roll his eyes and shudder at Ranger's statement. I got up and went out to the kitchen. I looked through the cupboards until I found what I needed and doctored the cereal. I headed back into the den. I smiled at Rafael and said, "Okay little man. Let's try this again. I promise it won't be as bad, but its still not perfect." To show him, I touched the first spoonful to my mouth and made a slight face. "See. Better, just not perfect."

I put the spoon to Rafael's mouth and his eyes met mine before he finally opened his mouth and let me put the cereal in his mouth. He made a slight face but continued to eat the rest. Once he had finished what was in the bowl, I washed him with a wash cloth and lifted him into my arms so I could nurse him.

On Thanksgiving, I woke at 5 a.m. so I could help get all the turkeys and hams going as well as help with the making of the rest of the food. I quickly showered and dressed and then I kissed Ranger's cheek and went to check on Rafael. I kissed his cheek as well. Then I headed down to the third floor where I was meeting the others. By 6 a.m. all the others had arrived and we'd gotten started. By noon, we had all the food done and we arranged for the guys working to be able to come down and fix themselves a plate. Everyone else started eating as well. I was thrilled when Eddie, Shirley and the boys arrived. When Eddie stopped to hug me he mentioned what a difference a year made. I smiled and agreed. My eyes went to where Eddie's boys were talking to Ranger as he held Rafael. Rafael smiled and kicked his feet. Eddie Jr. said something that got Rafael laughing.

Suddenly there was a change in the air and I felt him beside me. I turned and smiled at Diesel. "I'm so glad you could make it."

Diesel smiled, "I had a talk with the elders. Seems you made some valid points the last time we met. They've also decided I can be more a part of your life than I have been in the past."

I smiled and hugged him. "Shall I start introducing you to women?"

He laughed. "Not yet Princess. Let's just enjoy the moment."

At that point, Ranger joined us with Rafael, Eddie Jr., Jamie, and Davie. I introduced Diesel to the boys and I noticed the glow in his eyes when he shook Eddie Jr.'s hand. I smiled; glad that Diesel saw the same potential I had always seen.

Rafael's POV:

I knew when momma got me out of bed this morning that it was going to be a special day. First off, after she gave me a bath she put me in the yellow and orange outfit I hated. I figured since momma dressed me in this outfit, we must be going to see grandma. I rolled my eyes and decided I could deal for one day. The outfit was a bit snug so I was hoping this was the last time I'd have to wear it. Once I was ready momma smiled at me and whispered, "Thank you for being such a good boy."

I smiled. I always liked it when momma said I was a good boy or she was proud of me. We rode in the Cayenne with Ella to grandma's house. Lula was there too. Then momma set up the computer so Grandma Maria, great grandma Rosa, and all dad's sisters and his sister in law could talk with us through the computer. When we got done, momma buckled me into my car seat and we headed home. We stopped to see dad and momma and dad were looking at each other funny when I felt my tummy roaring with hunger. I gave a cry and momma's top slipped down so I could nurse. Dad leaned down and told me, "Hurry up and finish son so dad can have some mommy time."

I stopped nursing long enough to smile and wink at him. He put a blanket over me and momma so none of the guys would be able to see I was nursing and walked with us as we made our way to the apartment on 7. Dad sat and held us while I nursed and I was vaguely aware of momma laying me down and kissing the top of my head. That was the last thought I had till I woke up a few hours later. I looked around and saw Ella standing over my crib smiling. There was a look on her face that made me feel safe and loved.

Ella carried me over to the rocker and sat down, rocking us back and forth. I was starting to get hungry but didn't want to yell because I was afraid that would ruin mom's plans for the afternoon. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep, but didn't think it had been more than a couple hours. I put my fist in my mouth and started chewing on it, hoping that would hold me off for a bit. Ella smiled and asked, "Are you getting hungry little man?"

I stilled and smiled at her. I always knew Ella was a smart cookie. She stood and carried me into the kitchen. She went to the freezer and pulled out one of them bags. I wrinkled my nose, knowing what she planned to do with that. I hated that frozen shit. Oh well, I guess I could put up with it just this once so momma could have a little time for herself. Ella got the bottle all fixed up and carried me back into the nursery. She sat in the rocker and rocked us as she held the bottle so I could drink. I ended up finishing the bottle and she helped me to burp. She laid me back in the crib and whispered, "Alright, you go back to sleep now and let your momma and daddy have some more time, okay?"

When I woke up again, momma was there to change my diaper and then we went into the kitchen where I nursed while she ate her dinner. Once they were done, we made our way into the den where we snuggled up together to watch a documentary. I was still a little hungry but figured I could give momma a little time before I let her know I was hungry. In the end, I didn't have to tell momma I was hungry. She knew. She went out to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of something that looked pretty gross, but I was willing to give anything a try I was so hungry.

Momma asked dad if he wanted to hold me or if she should use the bouncy. He said he'd hold me. She sat facing us and used the spoon to scoop some of the cereal and when she held it to my mouth I opened up and let her feed me a bite. _Oh shit man! Huge mistake! That shit tasted like paste!_ I couldn't help making a face at that nasty tasting shit. Dad cleaned the cereal off me and grimaced. I don't think he liked the mess I was making but I had to get that crap out of my mouth. Dad said, "I don't think he likes that stuff Babe."

Momma took a bite of the stuff and started gagging right away. Yeah, see what I'm saying momma? That stuff is nasty shit. Dad smiled so momma scooped another bite and fed it to him. "Taste okay to me Babe."

Momma laughed as I rolled my eyes and shuddered at dad's statement. She got up and took the bowl out to the kitchen. She came back in a few minutes later and smiled before saying, "Okay little man. Let's try this again. I promise it won't be as bad, but its still not perfect." To show me, she touched the first spoonful to her mouth and made a slight face. "See. Better, just not perfect."

She put the spoon to my mouth and my eyes met hers before I finally opened my mouth and let her put the cereal in my mouth. I made a slight face as I got my first taste of the doctored stuff. It still wasn't very good, but since I was hungry and could live with the taste I continued to eat the rest. Once I had finished the rest of the cereal she wiped me with a wet cloth and then lifted me into her arms so I could nurse. For the first time in a couple days I actually felt full. When momma put me up on her shoulder to help me burp for the last time, I closed my eyes and was asleep in seconds.

On Thanksgiving, I woke up at 8 a.m. I gave a yell and dad was there to pick me up. He gave me a bath and dressed me. I smiled from ear to ear at the kick ass outfit he dressed me in. He put me in a black, long-sleeved t-shit, black cargo pants and black socks and combat boots. I looked just like dad. Dad took me into the kitchen and set me in the bouncy while he fixed my cereal. Hopefully he fixed it according to the recipe momma had devised. When dad joined me again at the table, he wrapped a towel around me so I wouldn't get messy and then he sat down and started to feed me. I shot him a glare after the first bite but he just lifted his eyebrow and waited me out. Finally, I just sigh and open my mouth. Geez. Why couldn't he just follow momma's recipe without trying to make it healthier? I mean, it wasn't _that_ bad, but it wasn't nearly as good as the cereal momma fixed. Once I finished the cereal he cleaned me up and lifted me out of the bouncy. He held me while I drank the bottled shit and then he made sure I burped. Dad set me on the floor and lay down with me. He helped me with my work out, you know: lifting myself up on my arms, rolling around the room, (no, not just rolling over. I would start rolling and keep myself rolling till I got back around to dad on his other side.) lying on my back kicking my feet and waving my arms around, and as I smile in anticipation of dad's reaction-the coup de grace, my army crawl.

I feel my chest puff up with pride as dad chuckles at that one and kisses the top of my head. His, "I'm proud of you son." makes me feel ten feet tall. With my workout done, I'm ready for a nap before we head down to meet everyone. Yeah, I know. It's been awhile since I've taken a morning nap, but I usually don't do all my exercises in the same day. I was kinda showing off for dad. He lifts me and carries me into my room. He lays me down in my crib and kisses the top of my head. "Sleep well son. I'll come get you when its time to go."

I woke instantly when dad entered my room a couple hours later. I stretched and reached up to him. Dad's eyes widened and he looked at me with such love it made me feel all squishy inside. He hugged me to him and I smiled. He carried me down to the party and I smiled as I saw momma making the rounds, talking to everyone. I kept an eye on momma in case she needed us and continued to enjoy my dad time. I was thrilled when my cousins showed up. Eddie Jr., Davie, and Jamie. They came over and I listened as dad talked with them. I smiled at the aura I saw around Eddie Jr. I knew one day he would be a very important person. The music being played was important, and then suddenly someone said, "Ladies and gentleman…the president of the United States Of America…"

I was brought back to the present as I noticed a man beside momma. I smiled when I recognized him. I always loved when Diesel was allowed to visit us. I knew he would be coming around a lot more. It was about time the elders loosened up a little. After all, he saved momma. I don't know how he did it or why he had to, but I knew he did. I doubt I would ever know the answers to the how or why. I knew momma didn't know them. Whatever had happened, Diesel had wiped it from her memory. Suddenly Diesel's eyes met mine and I saw them widen in surprise. I smiled and waved my hands. It's all good dude. I know you're one of the good guys.

Dad moved us over to them and I noticed when Diesel shook Eddie Jr.'s hand, he glowed. I guess he saw the same potential I saw. I let my gaze wander around the room. So this was Thanksgiving. Everyone getting together eating lots of food, talking and having a good time. Seemed pretty nice but I wondered if there was more to it. Suddenly momma wrapped her arms around dad, Diesel and me. I gotta funny feeling when I saw the tears in her eyes. She put her hand on me and said, "I am so thankful for all of you. I love you all so much."

Dad pulled her close and said, "I love you Babe."

Diesel glowed and I suddenly felt a love like no other love I'd ever felt. It was as if it was a love beyond physical bonds, like it went on for eternity.

I leaned so my face was against momma's and I thought, 'I'm thankful they let me come to you momma. I love you all.' When momma finally moved back she wiped her eyes and lifted me into her arms. She kissed my cheek. I kinda liked this thankful stuff. I smiled and it felt like the whole room got 20 degrees warmer. I heard murmurs of 'It's like feeling love wrap all around us.' I winked. I guess they got it.


	5. Rafael's First Black Friday

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This will eventually be a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is not a good guy. Frank Plum fans may be upset as well, as he is not portrayed favorably, nor is Helen Plum. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 5: Rafael's First Black Friday

Stephanie's POV:

I reached over and turned off the alarm, taking in that it was 3 a.m. I went to slip out of bed, but Ranger's arms hugged me tighter. He opened his eyes and asked, "Where you going Babe?"

I smile and say, "Grams, Lula, Connie and I are going shopping today."

"Isn't it a little early?"

"Its black Friday Ranger. If we don't get an early start we won't get anything on our lists."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, "When do you think you'll be back Babe?"

I shrugged. "No telling. Don't worry though; I'm taking Rafael with me."

"You are?"

"Sure."

Ranger sighed and tossed the covers back. I frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Babe, there is no way I'm letting you and Rafael out shopping on a day like this without backup. I'll be ready in a few minutes. I'll get the guys moving."

"What?"

Ranger smiled and kissed me on the mouth, "Be ready soon Babe."

I watched as he walked out of the room. Okay, what just happened? I sighed and went into the bathroom to shave, shampoo, shower and dress. I had just finished putting on my makeup and walked into the bedroom, when Ranger smiled and told me he'd be ready by the time I got Rafael ready. I went into the nursery and gently ran my hand down my son's cheek. I smiled as I watched him sleep. I bit my lip and decided to let him sleep and I'd change him later. I grabbed the diaper bag and loaded it with diapers, wipes, three different outfits, and a couple extra blankets. I stopped and thought for a minute to see what else I might need and then added the changing mat so when I needed to change him, I'd have a clean place to lay him. I focused for a minute to see if there would be anything else but I had everything. I decided I'd have Ranger carry Rafael to the car to insure he stay sleeping for as long as possible. No sooner did the thought occur then Ranger was walking into the nursery.

"Ready Babe?"

"All set. I want to let him sleep as long as possible."

Ranger kissed me quickly on the lips before stepping forward to lift our son into his arms. He grabbed a blanket to cover the baby and we headed to the garage. When we got to the garage, my eyes widened in surprise to see the stretch limo idling before us. I turned to Ranger and he smiled. "Thought you'd enjoy not having to worry about parking or the packages Babe. Vince will drive us, Chance will take care of all the packages, and Hector is on bodyguard detail."

I raised an eyebrow, "Last year you let us go on our own."

Ranger paled slightly at the reminder, "Don't remind me Babe."

I shook my head and a moment later we were joined by Tank and Lula as well as Tom. We got into the Limo and Ranger secured Rafael in the car seat before tucking the blanket around him. Then Ranger sat back and pulled me back into his arms. Once Lula and Tank were situated I thought we were ready, but suddenly Lester walked out of the elevator and slipped into the Limo as well. He no sooner shut the door then we were underway. Connie had agreed to meet us at Gram's house so we only had one more stop to make. Once we stopped at Gram's house, Tom and Lester got out, going up and seeing if they were ready. In no time they were getting back in the Limo with Grams and Connie. Once everyone was seated we got underway.

When we got to the mall, we all piled out of the car and got started on our shopping. Chance got the base for the stroller from the trunk and Ranger unbuckled the car seat so it could be attached to the base. Once everything was set, we headed off to start our shopping. Chance and Hector fell into step behind us. I pushed the stroller and Ranger's arm was around my waist. By 8 a.m. Rafael was stirring and I knew he would be waking soon so I started looking around for a restroom so I could change him. My stomach was starting to make itself heard and knew I would need to find somewhere to eat soon too.

No sooner had the thought occurred when my phone rang. I answered it and Lula was on the other end telling me everyone was at The Cheesecake Factory and they were saving space for us. I told her we'd be there in five minutes and ended the call. I turned to Ranger and told him we were going to The Cheesecake Factory. Sure enough, five minutes later we were joining the others. I slipped into the booth and scooted over so Ranger could set the car seat between us and then he sat on the end with his back to the wall so he was able to see all exits.

I picked up a menu and looked it over to decide what I wanted. The waitress arrived before I could even glance at the list of dishes. I quickly scanned as the others gave their orders. When it was my turn I ordered half an order of biscuits and gravy, coke, and; a bacon, tomato, onion, black olive, cheese, sausage and ham omelet, hash browns, cinnamon roll, and white chocolate, raspberry swirl cheesecake. Ranger shook his head and I could hear the unspoken 'Babe'. I just raised my eyebrow at him and smiled. Once the waitress had all our orders and had turned to go, I figured I would have just enough time to change Rafael and get back before our food was served. Ranger picked up the car seat and helped me out, then walked with me to the family restroom the store had.

Once we had entered the restroom Ranger kissed my forehead and said, "I'll start getting him ready while you take care of things Babe."

I quickly answered natures call and washed my hands before going over and taking over getting Rafael ready while Ranger freshened up. In no time we were headed back for the table. A now, fully awake Rafael was on my left side clinging to my shirt and smiling as Ranger walked beside us carrying the car seat. Ranger attached the seat to the stroller and moved the stroller so it would be out of the way, then he took Rafael so I could slip into the booth before sliding in himself.

I noticed Rafael chewing on his hand so turned and looked in the diaper bag to get the jar of pre-mixed cereal. I laughed as Rafael's eyes lit up and he started waving his arms in the air and kicking his feet. I had just given him his first bite when our food came. I continued feeding Rafael until he had finished the cereal and then used a wet cloth to wipe his face clean. The others looked away as Ranger draped the blanket over me and I got Rafael settled nursing. As he nursed, I made my way through my own breakfast. I had taken the last bite when the baby started squirming to let me know he needed to burp. I carefully moved him to my shoulder so as not to expose myself and patted his back till he burped. Ranger took Rafael, leaving the blanket covering me so I could readjust with a little privacy.

Once everyone was done eating, we agreed to meet back at the restaurant at 1 p.m. I was hoping to have the rest of my shopping done by then. I wasn't sure how much longer Ranger would last without losing it. Already today he had growled at numerous people and intimidated a good many more. My favorite was the time I was holding up a sweater to decide if that was the right gift for one of Ranger's sisters and Joyce Barnhardt and her brother Kevin came over. Hector and Chance closed ranks. Joyce went to grab the sweater from me saying that was just what she needed for her cousin. I moved the sweater away from her and Kevin gave me an oily smile and stepped forward.

Ranger growled as Kevin stepped towards me and the idiot had the audacity to tell Ranger to piss off. My eyes widened as the guys closed in more to protect me. Kevin reached out his good hand and Ranger grabbed hold of his wrist and twisted. The sound of bones breaking was obvious. Kevin screamed is pain and Joyce started swearing like a sailor. Store security came over with the store manager and said they were going to have to detain all of us until the police arrived to settle the matter. Ranger turned and the security man paled and said, "I am so sorry sir. You are free to go. We will detain these two and let the police know what happened sir."

The store manager turned to his security guard and sneered, "You might be afraid of this bozo but I'm not. They get detained just like the other two."

Oh man! He didn't really say that did he? I look to the security guys and then into Ranger's face and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the store manager had just committed retailer suicide. The security guard shook his head and whispered, "You don't understand man. Do you know who this is?"

"I don't give a fuck who it is. They get detained."

I set the sweater down and turned to the other items I had already found in the store. I sighed thinking of all the time I had just wasted in this store because this jackass just had to go and be stupid. The manager saw me picking up the items and smiled, "Miss, if you'll come with me I can ring up your purchases for you. I'm sorry you had to be bothered by this little disturbance."

I met the man's gaze and shook my head, "You don't understand. I'm removing these items because I will no longer be shopping at your store…ever. My husband and his employees were just trying to protect me and our son."

The manager looked at me with eyes widened in shocked surprised. "You're married? You have a baby? But ma'am, there is no reason you can't go ahead and purchase all these items."

I narrowed my eyes as I noticed Eddie walking towards us and I focused on the store manager, "You have the nerve to treat my husband and his employees like criminals for protecting me and our son, and you expect me to be okay with it and continue to shop at your store? Not going to happen. As I already told you, I will no longer shop at this store… ever." My tone was as cold as my expression.

Eddie had joined us and asked, "What happened Steph?"

"I was looking at this sweater and Joyce came up and tried to take it out of my hands. I moved the sweater away from her and her brother tried to touch me. Ranger grabbed his arm to stop him and then these guys joined in. The guards were going to let us go but Mr. Moron here wouldn't hear of it. He wanted the guys detained too. However, he was willing to take me to the counter to let me pay for my purchases. Now he doesn't understand why I would never shop in his store again and wants me to buy these items."

Eddie looked at the manager and softly told him, "I'd give it up if I were you."

The manager glared at me and Ranger growled. Just then another familiar face joined our party. I grinned as I saw Joe Juniak and his wife. Joe raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's going on here?"

The manager recognized Joe and puffed up his chest and explained his version of events. Joe listened to him and I could tell he was getting angrier by the second. The manager thought it was on his behalf and so drew out the drama. When he finished, Joe narrowed his eyes and told the manager, "That's a load of bull shit. Stephanie and her husband would never act as you have portrayed. Ranger Manoso was just protecting his wife and son like he always does. I'm sure if you talk to your boss, he'll tell you the same thing."

The manager paled, "Manoso? As in Rangeman Securities?"

Ranger smiled and nodded. The manager looked even sicker. "I am so sorry sir."

"Save it for your boss when you explain to him why he no longer has security protection for his business. You can also tell him you lost his company over $1500 in sales at the same time. Don't believe me; just ring all those items up."

With that we took our leave of Eddie and Uncle Joe and left the store. Remembering that incident now as we stood with the rest of the group outside The Cheesecake Factory, I let everyone else in on the boycott. Tank and Lester narrowed their eyes as I told the story and were growling as I finished. Tank turned to Ranger, "You call the control room and take them off our client list?"

Ranger nodded, "As well as having Cal call the owner at home and tell him."

I buckled Rafael back into his car seat and we got going to finish our shopping. If I thought the morning was eventful, it was nothing compared to the afternoon. Not only were Ranger, Hector and Chance reacting to the other shoppers, but so was Rafael.

Rafael's POV:

I woke up to see we were in a bathroom. Dad changed my diaper and cleaned me up a bit, then momma was there dressing me in a pair of blue jeans and a emerald green sweatshirt as well as socks and my sneakers. It wasn't the kick ass outfit dad dressed me in yesterday, but this one was okay. Momma picked me up and carried me back to the table. Dad took me while momma slid into the booth and then we slid in too. Dad held me while momma fed me cereal. Man that stuff was good. I loved the way momma made my cereal. Once I had downed the last bite, momma wiped my face with a wet cloth and then took me in her arms so I could nurse. I made sure the others weren't watching. Guess Uncle Lester had learned his lesson after the last time.

Once everyone was finished we headed back out into the mall. Momma told everyone about a store where they'd had a problem. They all agreed not to go there. I was a little disappointed. I wouldn't mind going back and having some fun. Oh well, can't have everything. Momma buckled me into the seat of the stroller and we got underway. We had just passed a toy store and I saw something that caught my eye. I turned us that way so I could check it out. Momma started laughing and dad raised an eyebrow.

Momma was smiling when she told dad, "Our son wants to look in the toy store."

"Babe."

Come on dad, chill. If mom's willing to go in why not just go with the flow? Uh oh. Hey momma, does dad have that ESP thing too?

Momma laughed and I could hear her think, Yes son, he does.

_Crap!_

I saw the barely there smile on dad's face as he allowed our little group to head into the toy store. We just needed to go a few feet more and…Yes!...There it was. Oh man! That was the coolest toy I had ever seen. It was a remote control dog-bot. Can we get one of those? Please guys, that's all I'll ask from you for Christmas. Really.

Dad picked up the dog-bot and read the back of the box. He gave momma a look I couldn't quite interpret and then he put it back on the shelf. _What?_ Why are you putting it back on the shelf? That's going to be my Christmas toy…right? Sigh! I guess I'm not going to get the really cool toy for Christmas. We make our way out of the store and I wonder where Chance got to. I look around but don't see him. Oh NO! Momma, Chance is lost! We gotta go back and find him. His momma will cry if we don't get him back home safe. Momma looks down at me and smiles and I hear her thinking, its alright little man. Chance has an errand to run and he'll be right back. We won't let him get lost.

I take a deep breath and relax for a few minutes. Suddenly I feel danger nearing and I put up a wall around us to protect momma and dad. I no more than have the wall up when a man comes at dad with a knife. He's ranting about dad putting him back in jail. He looks really angry and dad has his gun out and pointed at the man telling him to drop the knife. The man looks at momma and then at me and he gets a really scary look on his face. I see what he's thinking and act before he can make a move. He's screaming in pain as he drops the knife and then I know it's safe to let dad and Uncle Hector go on the other side of the wall. I keep momma with me on this side so no one can get to her till dad gets back to us.

In a matter of minutes there are five guys from Rangeman there as well as momma's cousin Eddie. Eddie shakes his head and asks, "Should I follow you guys around the rest of the day so I don't have to worry about getting calls? That way I would be right here."

I know he is joking and so does momma and dad. We all smile and Eddie shakes his head and takes the man away. I sense the danger has passed so I let the wall down. Dad walks back over and places his hand on top of my head. His voice is softer than a whisper as he says, "Proud of you son."

By now Chance has joined us once again and we head off to do more shopping. We head into Macy's and momma's eyes widen when she sees a set of fancy underwear. I can hear her thinking about dad's reaction to her wearing the set. Oh man momma, TMI. I mean really, I'm just a little guy. Momma looks at me and winks. I hear her asking me, 'How do you think you got to be her little man?' I roll my eyes and sigh…okay, go ahead and get it. She bites her lip and looks at dad. He's looking at a flimsy nightgown. Momma's eyes light up. Okay, score one for dad, she likes that. We move on and I don't get why they haven't picked up the two items she liked. I wave my arm trying to get them to go back but we just keep moving. Now what? Okay, deep breath and focus. There's a charge of electricity in the store and the lights flicker. People start screaming and dad, Hector and Chance are focused on getting us out of the store safely. We get close to the check out and I concentrate again. In no time the items are in the diaper bag all wrapped and paid for. I smile and wink at the lady behind the counter. She looks at me with this weird dreamy look and sighs.

We visit a few more stores but things are pretty tame, nothing happening except people fighting over which one picked up the last sale item. Momma finishes up her shopping and we head back to The Cheesecake Factory where we are meeting the others. We're the first ones there and dad gets us a choice seat. Momma opens another jar of cereal for me and I gobble it down. Oh yeah, that is some seriously good stuff. Once momma wipes my face off, she nurses me. It doesn't take me long to finish and momma is all put back together before the others start joining us. I start to nod off as everyone starts eating, even though I hate to miss any of this kick ass day. My last thought as I drift off is I can't wait till next year.


	6. Rafael's First Christmas

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 6: Rafael's First Christmas

Ranger's POV:

I was pouring over the schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tank would be on vacation starting on the 23rd because the young girl who was letting Lula and him adopt her baby was due to give birth at any time. Bobby had volunteered for Christmas Day and Lester said he'd work Christmas Eve. Both guys asked off for New Year's Eve. I was wondering how to justify being off Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, when there was a knock on the door. I called out, "Enter."

Cal stepped into my office and nodded. I sat back and met his gaze. He smiled and said, "I'd like to give you an early Christmas gift boss."

I frowned, "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know that, and I didn't really _get _you anything."

I raised an eyebrow, "Explain."

"I'm volunteering to work New Year's Eve boss. That way you and Stephanie can celebrate your anniversary. That's my gift to you. I know Tank is off on vacation for the next two weeks or more, and Lester and Bobby want New Year's Eve off so they volunteered for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'd like to offer this as my gift to you and Stephanie so you can spend all three days together as a family."

I stared at Cal for several minutes before nodding. "I appreciate your offer, and I accept. Thank you Cal."

Cal nodded and smiled. He turned and left and I looked back at the holiday schedule and wrote Cal in for New Year's Eve.

Once the schedule was completed, I picked up the statement for my credit card. I opened the envelope and looked over the purchases. There were two purchases listed that had me frowning. I had sent Chance back to get the pantie set as well as the nightgown, but both items were gone when he got there. Now here I was being charged for both items. I narrowed my eyes and decided I needed to have a talk with my son when I went up for lunch. I shook my head and wondered how the hell he'd pulled it off. If this is what he could do at four months of age, what the hell were we in for when he got older? I smiled and thought, 'Proud of you son.'

I worked for another two hours before I stood and headed for 7. When I entered the apartment, I heard laughing and followed the sounds. I came to a stop in the den, standing and watching my beautiful wife and son play peek-a-boo on the floor. Without turning Babe said, "Come on over and join us."

I walked over and sat down on the floor behind her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her back into my arms. Rafael army crawled over to us and Babe lifted him in her arms, lifted his shirt, put her mouth on his bare tummy, and blew raspberries on his tummy. Rafael laughed as hard as he could. They continued like that for several minutes, Babe repeating her actions and Rafael laughing.

Suddenly two very distinct roars could be heard and I couldn't help laughing at the duel surprised looks on their faces. "I think its time to eat Babe."

She smiled, "I guess you're right. Can you help us up?"

I stood and leaned down to gently lift her up, baby and all. We made our way into the kitchen and Babe set Rafael in his brand new high chair. His eyes got big as she strapped him in it. He used his hands to explore his surroundings. I heated up lunch as Babe got Rafael's lunch ready. She opened two jars of baby food and emptied the jars into a bowl that had two compartments. I carried our food over to the table and made sure she was seated before taking my own seat.

I reached over for the bowl and spoon and told Babe I would feed Rafael while she got started eating. I was hoping she'd have a chance to finish before Rafael was ready to nurse. I gave him his first bite and he took a minute to decide if he liked it or not. It must have been okay because when I put the next bite up to his mouth he was ready for it. I made sure to feed him his vegetables first and when he'd totally finished them I started on the fruit. Rafael's eyes lit up and he got a little impatient between bites. I scooped the last bite of fruit and placed it in his mouth at the same time Babe finished her lunch. She got up and got a wet cloth and wiped the baby's face before unstrapping him and lifting him in her arms. She sat back down and nursed him while I concentrated on finishing my lunch.

She had just finished burping him when I finished. I smiled and said, "I'll put him down Babe. Why don't you go relax for a bit?"

"I'll straighten up in here while you put him down. Do you have to get right back down?"

I smiled and replied, "I have the next two hours open."

She smiled as our eyes met and darkened. We were both definitely going to be happy before I went back to work. I lifted Rafael and walked into the nursery. I made sure he was dry before laying him down. I covered him up and leaned down, speaking softly I asked, "Alright son, where are they?" Rafael turned to the window and I raised an eyebrow before gently turning him back to face me, "I got the credit card bill son. Spill."

Rafael turned and met my gaze. He winked and I got a picture of a package in his closet. I went over and pulled the package out, I smiled and put it back before going back over to the crib. I kissed my son on his forehead and said, "I love you son, and I am so proud of you. We'll just leave that there till Christmas Day." Rafael smiled ear-to-ear and closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds. I touched my son's cheek and smiled before making sure he was covered.

I went out to find Babe. She had just finished in the kitchen and was heading towards the nursery. I smiled, lifted her into my arms and headed into our bedroom. I had two hours to make us both, very, very happy.

Stephanie's POV:

I woke up to Ranger leaning over and kissing my forehead. I smiled and stretched, letting the sheet slip off my breasts. Ranger groaned and suddenly he was covering me with our mouths fused and our tongues dueling. I moaned and felt my juices flowing. I could never have enough of him. When he finally left the apartment he was in a hurry to make it to a meeting with a new client. I smiled as I watched him hurrying to get ready. I waited till he left before heading to the shower myself. I had just finished dressing when I heard Rafael stirring. I made my way into the nursery and made sure he had a clean diaper on before heading into the den and setting him down on the floor. I put a few toys around him before sitting down beside him on the floor.

We were still there when Ranger came home a few hours later. We ate dinner and then I bundled Rafael up so we could go pick out our Christmas tree. I found a beautiful tree but Ranger said it was too tall. The tree he chose was way too small. We'd been walking around for nearly two hours before a tree literally fell over in front of us. Ranger and I looked at each other and smiled before thinking, 'Proud of you son.' Ranger lifted the tree and that's the one we took. As I strapped Rafael into his car seat, he was beaming. I kissed his cheek and told him what a wonderful tree it was.

When we returned to the apartment, I carried Rafael into the nursery and got him ready for bed. I sat in the rocker and nursed him. Once he'd finished, I burped him and laid him down. After covering him, I went back into the den where Ranger was setting our tree up. I closed my eyes for a moment and focused. I smiled and opened my eyes. It was going to be just perfect. I went to the kitchen to get some water and once the tree was in position, Ranger added the water. We took one final look around and headed to the bedroom. I smiled, looking forward to the happy feeling I knew was coming.

On Christmas Eve we had Tank and Lula over as well as Bobbie, and Grams. Lester made it up during his meal break. Grams was spending the night so we could get an early start to Ranger's folks in the morning. Rafael was dressed in black velvet pants, white dress shirt and black velvet vest, as well as black dress shoes. We had a wonderful time. We had an early night so everyone would be well rested for the next day. About midnight Ranger sat up in bed and growled, "What the fuck is _that_?"

I listened for a couple minutes and laughed before telling him _that_ was grandma Mazur. He said we should probably register her with the geographic institute so they wouldn't mistake the noise for an earthquake. I smiled and suggest we make some noise of our own to drown her out. Ranger smiled and in no time we were oblivious to the sounds of grandma's snoring.

I woke when Ranger slipped out of bed the next morning. I joined him in the shower and in no time we were back in bed. The next time Ranger went to shower, I waited till he finished before heading in to shave, shampoo my hair and shower before I dried off and dressed for the day. I slipped into emerald green dress slacks and a festive red sweater. I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail before applying makeup. I slipped into sneakers and then headed into the nursery to get Rafael ready. He was sitting up in his crib looking around. My eyes widened and I smiled.

I went over and picked him up. "You are such a smart little man."

Rafael smiled and I felt enveloped in love. I dressed him in the red guayabera I had found for him and black slacks, along with his dress shoes from last night. I added a few things for the diaper bag and headed out to the kitchen. Grandma was sitting at the table with Ranger and she looked a little tired. I frowned and asked if she was feeling alright. She nodded but said she was woken in the night by someone dousing her with water. I was sitting Rafael in the high chair and noticed he suddenly wouldn't meet my eyes. I gently turned his little head so our gazes met and raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and I got a picture of grandma snoring. I couldn't help the smile that escaped, but I leaned in and said, "Don't do that again." and I kissed his cheek.

After breakfast, we decided to open our presents to each other. Ranger got an antique gun from Rafael, a pocket watch from grandma, and an intense video game from me that would hone his badass skills. It was a new wii game that would test all his combat skills. I figured he could share it with all of the other guys as well. I watched as his eyes widened when he read the part about who the designer for the game was. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I shrugged. I told him I needed something to keep my mind busy while Rafael was napping. Ranger and I had given grams a portrait of the three of us for her house. Rafael had given her a photo album detailing all the good things from the past year. Grams had gotten Rafael a Thomas the Train collection set that lit up his eyes when he saw it. Ranger and I gave him a workout mat that would exercise his body as well as his mind. The toy that was the true hit was the gift that Santa left. It was the dog-bot from the toy store. Rafael squealed and the look in his eyes brought a tear to mine. He was a little upset when we had to leave the dog-bot at home, but eventually he got over it. I got a pantie set and a flimsy nightgown from Ranger, a photo album from Grams that detailed all the good points in my life, and from Rafael I received a mother's ring.

We had a wonderful time at Carlos and Maria's. It wasn't till we were five miles outside Trenton that the call came. Lula was on the phone in tears. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but finally Tank took the phone from her and told us that Maggie had gone into labor earlier that day. Things took a turn though, and the doctor wasn't sure if he'd be able to save either of them. I told Tank we'd be there in a few minutes. I re-laid the information to Ranger and he pressed down on the gas pedal. We hurried onto the maternity unit and saw Lula and Tank in the waiting room. Tank was holding Lula as she cried. I knew she was crying as much for Maggie as she was for the baby.

Rafael's POV:

Momma and I were on the floor in the den playing peek-a-boo when dad came in and momma told him to come join us. He sat down behind momma and pulled her back into his arms. I army crawled over and momma lifted me in her arms and lifted my shirt before placing her mouth on my bare tummy and giving me raspberries on my tummy. I laughed at the sensation. Suddenly my stomach gave out a roar at the same time as momma's. Dad laughed and said, "I think its time to eat Babe."

Momma smiled, "I guess you're right. Can you help us up?"

Dad lifted us up and we made our way to the kitchen. Momma buckled me in to my new highchair. I used my hands to check this out. Dad went and got the dishes out of the fridge that Ella had brought up and got them heating up while momma opened some jars and put the contents in a bowl. Dad reached over for the bowl and put a scoop to my mouth. I tried it and it wasn't too bad. I had to eat all my vegetables before dad let me try the fruit. Oh man! That stuff is great! Come on dad, get that spoon over here and give me some more! When he gave me the last bite I was a little disappointed because that was some good tasting shit! Momma got up and washed my face before unstrapping me and letting me nurse.

Momma had just burped me for the last time and dad said he'd put me down while momma relaxed. She asked if he had to get right back to work and I realized they were going for some alone time. Hey dudes, I can handle that. I'm pretty tired right now anyway. Dad lifted me and carried me through to the nursery, making sure I was dry before laying me in my crib. He covered me up and leaned down, speaking softly he asked, "Alright son, where are they?"

I turned to the window thinking I could avoid answering. Dad raised an eyebrow before gently turning me back to face him, "I got the credit card bill son. Spill." I turned and met his gaze and gave him a wink. I thought about where the packages were and dad went over and pulled them out, smiled and put them back before walking back over to my crib. He kissed my forehead and said, "I love you son, and I am so proud of you. We'll just leave that there till Christmas Eve." I smiled ear-to-ear and closed my eyes. I was asleep in seconds.

Momma came into my room and made sure I had a clean diaper. Then she carried me into the den and set me on the floor with toys all around me before sitting on the floor beside me. I had fun playing with the toys till dad came home and we ate dinner. Then momma bundled me up and we went for a drive to a tree farm. We walked around for a long time. Momma found a tree she liked but dad said it was too big. Dad found a tree he liked but momma thought it was too small. I was getting tired and starting to feel cold when I saw a beautiful tree not too far away from where we were standing. I smiled and focused. Suddenly the tree fell over right in front of us. I felt so good inside when I heard them think 'Proud of you son.' Dad picked up the tree and we made our way back to the SUV. Momma strapped me into my car seat and kissed my cheek before telling me what a lovely tree we had.

We had a really nice Christmas Eve. Uncle Tank and Aunt Lula came, as well as Uncle Bobbie, and grandma Mazur. Uncle Lester made it up on his meal break. I got some really cool toys and I didn't really mind wearing the fancy outfit momma had bought me. When momma laid me in my bed I was pretty tired and just wanted a good night's sleep because I was looking forward to seeing all dad's family the next day. I was sleeping good, wondering what Santa was going to bring me, when all of a sudden I thought we were under attack. I focused to see where the attack was coming from and got a picture of grandma Mazur sleeping. Suddenly she let out an awful noise that would probably wake someone in a coma. I tried to tune her out but the noise….finally; I narrowed my eyes and tried to figure out a way of shutting her up without smothering her. I smiled and noticed there was a glass of water on her nightstand. When the water splashed on her face she bolted upright in bed and started sputtering. She shook her head and got up to change into something dry. Okay, time for me to duck out of there. I closed my eyes and was asleep in seconds.

The next morning I woke up and knew momma was in the shower. I got myself into a sitting position and looked around the room a bit; knowing momma would be in soon. When she entered the room her eyes widened and then she smiled. She walked over and picked me up, telling me, "You are such a smart little man."

I smiled and let the feelings of love I was feeling envelope both of us. Momma dressed me in a red shirt and black slacks, as well as the dress shoes I had to wear last night. They weren't my favorite shoes, but I could live with them. Momma packed my diaper bag and we headed to the kitchen. I felt a little bad when I got my first look at grandma. She still looked tired. Momma asked her about it and she told her someone doused her with water during the night. When momma put me in the high chair, I couldn't meet her eyes. She raised an eyebrow and I felt her gently probing. I rolled my eyes and gave it up, showing her what had happened. Momma smiled and whispered, "Don't do that again." and she kissed my cheek.

After breakfast we opened more gifts. Dad got a pocket watch from grandma, a cool video game momma had been working on for the past few months, and I had picked out an antique gun I knew dad had been eyeing. Grandma got a portrait from momma and dad of the three of us, and I gave her a photo album with pictures from the last year. Lots of good memories. I knew grandma needed that right now. Grandma got me a Thomas the Train collection set and my eyes lit up at the sight of it. Momma and dad got me a workout mat that had some kick ass stuff on it. The main attraction was Santa's gift to me. I squealed when I saw it. It was the dog-bot I had wanted so bad when we all went shopping. Oh man! That Santa dude was awesome. The only downside was my dog-bot had to stay at home when we went grandma and grandpa Manoso's. I was so not happy about that. Eventually, I saw there was no way I was going to be able to take it, so gave up grudgingly and let it go. Momma got a pantie set and a flimsy nightgown from dad, a photo album from Grandma that detailed all the good points in her life, and from me she received a mother's ring.

We had lots of fun at grandma and grandpa Manoso's. There was tons of food to eat, and the house looked beautiful. I couldn't believe all the people who wanted to hold me. It wasn't too bad, because when I needed momma they made sure I got back to her, and they kept me out of grandma Mazur's hands. During dinner, momma gave me bites of stuff off her plate. _Yum!_ That was some seriously good stuff. When we finally headed home, I dozed off in my car seat. I had started having a funny feeling and knew I was going to need all my energy later. When momma lifted me out of my car seat, I woke. I could feel the tension in everyone and knew something serious was going on. When we walked into the hospital's waiting room for the maternity ward, I knew. Seeing Aunt Lula in Uncle Tank's arms crying made me feel funny inside. I wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay, but Aunt Lula didn't have the connection I had with momma and dad.

Momma went over to Aunt Lula and spoke softly, "I'll go see what I can do."

Lula nodded. Grandma held out her arms for me but I let momma know I was going with. I felt momma hesitate for a second but she smiled at grandma and said I would be okay with her. We walked into Maggie's room and I felt how close they both were to death. I closed my eyes and focused, knowing momma was doing the same. I vaguely heard a nurse step up and tell us we couldn't be in there, but dad told her it was necessary. Maggie cried out at that moment and the nurse sent a worried look her way. I slipped in to let her know it was okay and suddenly she smiled and nodded before heading back over to Maggie.

I focused for what seemed like hours and when I felt like I was too tired to keep going, dad placed his hand on my back and I felt like my energy had been re-filled. When momma and I had done all we could, we slipped out and headed back to the waiting room. I was exhausted and knew momma was too. Dad was holding us all up. He sat down in a chair and pulled momma and me onto his lap. Momma and I slept. I was vaguely aware of Aunt Lula asking if we were okay. I knew dad nodded and told her we'd be fine, we were just very tired right now. It was just a few minutes later when momma started stirring. I opened my eyes as well and gave a yell. Momma smiled at me and started nursing me. I had just finished when the doctor entered the waiting room. He smiled and told Aunt Lula that Maggie had a little girl and she was ready for her to come in and see her. Lula asked how Maggie was. The doctor looked perplexed. He said he wasn't sure what had happened, but Maggie was going to be fine too.

Aunt Lula and Uncle Tank went in to Maggie's room, and a few minutes later they came out holding a tiny baby. Aunt Lula was crying as she showed everyone her new daughter. She named her Lillie Rose. She said that was the name that both Maggie and she liked. Lillie weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 19" long. Momma put me on her shoulder to burp me and I got my first glimpse of my new little cousin. She was beautiful. She already had a lot of black hair. Her color was lighter than Uncle Tank and Aunt Lula's, but she was still dark like them. I focused on her wanting to make sure she was going to be okay. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. I smiled back. I knew she was going to be just fine. I laid my head on momma's shoulder and let sleep claim me.


	7. Rafael's First New Year's Eve

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 7: Rafael's First New Year's Eve

_This chapter is strictly from Rafael's POV. Stephanie and Ranger will have their own chapter._

I woke up and got into a sitting position. I knew momma was finishing getting dressed and would be in to get me in a minute so I waited. When she came in, I smiled at her and held up my arms. She came over and lifted me into her arms and cuddled me for several minutes. Then she took me over to the changing table and bathed me before dressing me. She put jeans, a long-sleeved gray t-shirt, socks, and my sneakers on me. Then she lifted me and carried me into the kitchen where she set me in my highchair. She opened a jar of cereal and started feeding me. I was just finishing up when dad joined us.

Dad heated their breakfast and put their plates on the table. I relaxed while they ate, listening to them talk about their anniversary and what they had planned for later. When they mentioned Ella and me I started paying closer attention. I wasn't sure I liked the idea of them going out and leaving me with Ella for the night. Not just a few hours, but overnight. I mean, this would be the longest I'd ever been away from momma. I looked at their faces and the love in their eyes made me feel all squishy inside. Okay, I guess I could deal with being with Ella for that long. She was awesome.

Dad suggested taking me down to his office for the day so momma could relax and pamper herself. She bit her lip for a minute and I knew she wanted to but she hated being away from me for so long since they would be gone overnight. I smiled and winked at her to let her know I was good with going with dad and wanted her to have a good day too. She finally agreed. She nursed me while dad went to pack my bag. She was just helping me to burp when dad joined us again. He lifted me into his arms and kissed momma before telling her to enjoy her day.

Dad carried me to the elevator and we took that down to 5. As we headed to his office, several of the guys popped up to say hi to me. One of the guys raised an eyebrow at dad and said he thought he was off for the day. Dad nodded and said he was only working till noon so he could get payroll sent off. The other guy who's name was Cal grinned and said he'd make sure of that. We headed into dad's office and he set me down on the floor and pulled some toys out of my bag. I got busy checking out my toys while dad did his paperwork.

I got a little bored so I took a peak and saw dad was still busy pouring over the payroll. Just then there was a knock on the door and dad told the person to enter. The door was left open when he came in. I didn't recognize this guy and wondered if he was new. I rolled onto my hands and knees and tried moving. I focused on the motions I needed and pretty soon I was in the hallway. I heard voices and decided to check them out. When I reached the area where the voices were coming from I saw Vince and Ram watching a bunch of TV screens. I wanted a closer look but wasn't sure how I was going to make that happen. Just then the guys stopped talking and looked down at me. I grinned and lifted my arms. Score! Ram reached down and lifted me gingerly into his arms.

I leaned forward and took a good look at all the monitors. Hey! Wait a minute. What was that little guy in the black ski mask doing creeping towards that building? My dad was responsible for guarding that building and that guy needed to stop right where he was. I saw on the screen that the guy had indeed stopped. Vince leaned forward and pointed to the guy. He radioed someone and told them to run by the business, giving them the address and telling them that there was a man in a ski mask nearing the building. The man started to move again and I thought he better stop. Again he stopped. I saw the black SUV nearing the location and grinned. Rangeman to the rescue. When the guy saw the two get out of the SUV he took off. I narrowed my eyes and suddenly the man tripped on thin air and went spinning in the air to land at the feet of the two Rangeman at the scene. I smiled when they cuffed him and put him in the vehicle to take to the police department.

I leaned back and looked up at Ram. He gave me a look like he wasn't so sure what to do with me so I thought, 'down' to let him know I wanted down. He set me down and I crawled away. I heard someone whispering and decided to check into it. I came to a stop and looked up to see Hal. His cheeks turned pink and he hung up the phone. I gave his monitor a peak and noticed there was a picture of a really pretty girl there. I touched the picture and Hal smiled sadly, "That's my sister Lainey. She died a couple years ago. I still miss her. I felt his sadness at her loss and I wanted to make him feel better. I focused and saw Lainey smiling and happy. I frowned. I didn't understand…if she was dead, why was I seeing her alive and happy? I tilted my head and focused deeper. Suddenly my eyes widened and I looked down at the keyboard. I checked the screen and read what had been typed to see if it made sense. It read;

_Lainey is alive. She didn't die in the car accident. She lost her memory and is staying with the man who found her. She's living in Middletown, New Jersey. They call her Elaine Martin._

Hal looked at the computer and his eyes widened. He looked at me shocked. He shifted me so he could use both his hands to start typing on the computer. A few minutes later he had an address and he hugged me close and whispered, "Thank you Rafael."

I just smiled. I looked down at the floor and Hal set me down. I continued on my way, coming to a stop at Cal's desk. He noticed me watching him and grinned before scooping me up in his arms. I grinned at him as he carried me back to dad's office. Cal didn't have to knock because dad was standing in the doorway to his office. Cal asked dad if he lost something. Dad laughed and told him I snuck out while Crane was in to get the payroll. Cal handed me off to dad and asked him if he was done for the day. Dad said yeah, he'd be off-line for the rest of the day unless there was an emergency. We headed back up to 7.

When we got to the apartment, dad set me in my highchair. Momma brought a bowl over with my lunch and sat down to feed me. Dad went into the kitchen to get their lunch ready. I made a face when momma gave me my first bite of peas. Yuck! I tried giving them back to her but she leaned in and told me I needed to eat my veggies. I gave her the look and when she put the spoon up there again I closed my mouth and had no plans to open it for that green shit. Momma whispered, "If you eat your peas, you can have the Hawaiian delight you like so well."

I sighed. I really hated those peas and wanted no part of them, but I really loved that Hawaiian delight stuff. I opened my mouth while making a face to let her know that I really didn't like this deal. Momma gave me another bite and I really tried but I started gagging and the green shit came out all over the highchair. Momma got a wet cloth and wiped my face and then the tray. She took the bowl out to the kitchen and put it in the sink. My eyes were wide, wondering if I wasn't going to get anymore lunch. I relaxed a little when I saw her empty another couple jars into another bowl and bring it to the table. She scooped up a bite and smiled at me. She told me she was sorry for not listening to me about the peas. I took the bite and was pleased to see she was giving me the Hawaiian delight anyway. After about three bites she switched to something else that looked green. At first I thought it was the peas but momma said this was different. I trusted momma and so gave it a try. Hey, this stuff was pretty good. Momma turned to dad and told him I definitely didn't like peas, but the green beans were a hit. Once I finished eating, momma let me nurse and then took me into my bedroom to lay me down. Momma gave me a kiss and told me when I woke up Ella would be with me. She told me I would spend the night with Ella and Luis and I would see her and dad the next day when they got back. She told me dad was taking her out for their anniversary.

I smiled at momma to let her know I was cool with the plans and then I went to sleep. It was a couple hours before I woke up. I gave a yell to let Ella know I was awake. Ella came in smiling and lifted me up. She checked to make sure I was dry and then cuddled me close while she carried me to her apartment. Once we got to her apartment, Ella set me down on the floor to play and she joined me. She told me all about not having any children of her own and how she always loved watching her sisters and brothers children. She told me how much she loved my momma and that she thought of her as a daughter. We had a pretty good time. When Luis came in he joined us. He and Ella made a really good couple.

At supper, Ella made me mashed potatoes and gravy and I had some peaches. The only down side was I had to drink the frozen stuff in a bottle. After dinner I played a little more and Ella turned on the New Year's Eve in Times Square show and we watched the ball drop. Ella kissed my cheek and whispered 'Happy New Year' to me and then she changed me for bed and fed me another bottle before laying me in the fold up bed so I could go to sleep. All in all, New Year's Eve seemed pretty tame to me.


	8. A First Anniversary

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 8: A First Anniversary

Stephanie's POV:

I felt a little guilty, but I thoroughly enjoyed my morning alone. I soaked in the tub for over an hour. Then I stepped in the shower so I could shampoo my hair. Once I had dried off, I dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a sky blue sweater. I added gel to my hair and brushed it back into a ponytail. I got out my overnight bag and carefully packed clothes for tomorrow, the bra and panty set I'd received for Christmas as well as the sheer nightgown, toiletries, and everything I would need for tonight. I took out the dress and slipped it into the garment bag along with Ranger's tux. I added what I thought Ranger would need for tonight and tomorrow and found I still had time before Ranger and Rafael came back up for lunch.

When Ella came up so we could head out, I went in and gave Rafael a kiss. I felt the tears burn as I told him we'd be back the next day. I was going to miss him, even though we would only be gone overnight. I hugged Ella and told her to call us if she needed us for anything. Finally, Ranger picked up our bags and we rode down to the garage. Ranger put our bags in the trunk of the Turbo and then made sure I was seated. It didn't take long to get to Atlantic City. Ranger pulled into the Trump hotel and we went to check in.

When we were shown to our room my eyes lit up when we entered the Honeymoon Suite. Ranger tipped the bellboy and when he left, Ranger pulled me into his arms and covered my mouth with his. It was several minutes before we came up for air. We agreed to unpack and take a walk along the Boardwalk before getting ready for our night out. Once everything was set out, Ranger took my hand in his and we headed for The Boardwalk.

We stopped in several of the shops and I bought a few things. We did a rolling chair ride as well as the other rides. Ranger even bought me a cone of cotton candy. That's right, the man who when I first met him had banned sugar from his building, calling it contraband, had bought me spun sugar. I enjoyed every bite, and even managed to tease him into taking a bite. We finally returned to our room to get ready for the night ahead.

I decided to take another shower and once I dried, I left the towel around myself while I took care of my hair. I added some more styling gel and managed to get my hair up in a loose topknot. Then I added a set of sheer stockings, a barely there little black dress that screamed sex, and a 4" black pair of FMP's. I added a few pieces of jewelry and then added a light dusting of makeup. When I was ready I went out into the sitting room to find Ranger already there in his tux. He turned and our gazes met, his eyes going dark with desire. I felt the heat wash over me as he took me into his arms and claimed my mouth. When we came up for air I asked if he'd rather stay in. He took a deep breath to get his desire under control and said he wanted to give me more. I grabbed my bag and we headed out.

We started the night with a cruise on the water. Ranger had chartered a private sailboat and the two of us sat on deck while the owner who had agreed to pilot for us cruised the waters. We docked at 8:30 p.m., and thanked the owner for the wonderful cruise. Ranger wrapped his arm around my waist and we walked The Boardwalk back to our hotel where we would be dining and joining the New Year's Eve Party. We arrived just before 9 and as we entered we ran into the owner of the hotel. Ranger introduced us and the gentleman asked us to join him. Ranger smiled and thanked him, but told him we were celebrating our first anniversary. The gentleman congratulated us and wished us a wonderful evening and we thanked him.

Once we were seated a waiter came over and handed us menus. He asked what we wanted to drink. Ranger looked to me and raised an eyebrow. He asked me what I'd like to try and I told him I'd trust his choice. After all, the only thing I'd ever tried was the champagne Ranger had ordered at my birthday party. Ranger gave our drink order and the waiter moved off. We poured over the menu and by the time the waiter returned I had decided what I would order. I chose a steak and shrimp dish and Ranger chose a chicken and rice dish. The waiter took the menus and left us. I took a sip of the wine in my glass and moaned with pleasure. It was delicious.

Ranger took my hand in his and lifted it to his mouth. He kissed first the back of my hand and then turned it over and kissed the palm. There was music playing and several people were already on the dance floor. Ranger asked me if he could have this dance. I smiled and nodded. We made our way to the dance floor and he pulled me into his arms. I looked up and met his gaze and knew he was remembering too. This was the first song we'd danced to as man and wife. Always And Forever by Luther Vandross. I laid my head against Ranger and closed my eyes. We swayed gently to the music. When the song ended, Ranger leaned down and kissed me gently on the mouth. I returned the kiss and it was several moments before we came up for air.

By the time we made our way back to our table, our food was making an appearance. Ranger seated me before taking his own seat. We ate while we made small talk. When the waiter came back to bring a tray of dessert samplers, my eyes lit up and I moaned. There were a total of 7 different desserts, and each sampler was enough for two people to each have a bite. I was surprised when Ranger used his spoon to scoop up his half of the first dessert. I put my bite in my mouth and moaned in pleasure at the tastes bursting in my mouth. I went to the next dessert, but before I could scoop up a bite, Ranger held his spoon with the other half of the first dessert to my mouth. I raised an eyebrow and he smiled. "You know I'm not a dessert kinda guy Babe. You're all the dessert I'll need and I want to make sure you have lots of energy."

I smiled and allowed him to feed me the bite. I closed my eyes and moaned. By the time I had finished the last bite of our desserts, I was feeling extremely energized. I took a sip of wine and Ranger and I hit the dance floor again. We danced and danced and danced. When it was five minutes till midnight, the music stopped and the countdown began. The DJ had a mix done of the top 20 songs for the year and for the next four and a half minutes he played it. By then everyone had a glass of champagne and then the real countdown began. Ranger had his arm wrapped around my waist and I was pulled close to his side. We held our glasses ready to make the toast at midnight. I looked up at Ranger, my eyes lit with excitement. As the DJ said Happy New Year, Ranger and I each took a drink of champagne and then shared a very intimate kiss. When the kiss ended, we headed upstairs to our room.

Once inside our room, Ranger set our glasses down and lifted me into his arms. He carried me through to the bedroom and slowly removed all my clothing as I re-paid the favor by removing his clothing. When we were both naked, Ranger lifted me and laid me on the bed before following me down. His mouth covered mine and our tongues dueled. My hands roamed his body as his hands roamed mine. He found a breast with one hand and kneaded my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. I arched upwards and moaned at the pleasure he was bringing to my body. My hand found his maleness and I caressed him. We moved around to have better access and soon his mouth was kissing a trail of fire down to my core. As he parted me and covered my core with his mouth, I took his member in my mouth and sucked as I licked. I cried out in pleasure as his mouth brought me to climax. Within seconds he had moved around and was entering me. He thrust fully inside of me and started slowly moving in and out, slowly increasing the speed until we were on a runaway train with only one goal in sight. When I climaxed for the second time, he went over the edge with me. It took a few minutes to come back down and then Ranger was lifting me and carrying me into the bathroom. We showered, which led to Ranger lifting me and using the wall to help us balance as he thrust in and out of me. When we'd both finally gone over the edge, he set me down so we could clean ourselves up.

Once I had dried myself off, I slipped into the bra and pantie set I'd gotten for Christmas as well as the sheer nightgown. I had brushed my hair and left it down. When I went into the bedroom, Ranger took one look and his eyes heated with desire. He gave me a gentle kiss and we headed to bed. This time when we slipped under the covers, he kissed the top of my head and told me to sleep, we had plenty of time. He wrapped his arms around me and I was asleep in seconds.

Ranger's POV:

I held Babe in my arms watching her sleep. Last night had been all I had hoped it would be. We'd walked The Boardwalk and done some shopping, then we'd done the sailboat cruise, and finally dinner and dancing. When I got my first glimpse of Babe in her dress, it was all I could do to stay with the plan. I wanted this to be a memorable anniversary for her. When we finally made it back to the room, I loved her over and over. Once we'd showered, I convinced her to sleep for a while. I smiled, remembering when she woke me up in the early hours of the morning. We'd had several more loving sessions where we both ended up extremely happy. I lifted my hand to her face and gently caressed her face. I loved her more with each passing day. It was hard to believe she'd only been in my life for less than 15 months. I couldn't picture my life without her in it. Before I'd met her I had no plans to marry. I figured I'd continue to do missions for years to come and live my life on my own. I'm sure there would have been women; after all I am a man. But once she entered my life, there was no other woman out there for me. My life plan suddenly did a 180 and here I was, the happiest man in the world. The love she and Rafael brought to my life was like a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark world. My world was no longer dark. Now it was filled with light and love with shadows appearing only occasionally.

I kissed Babe on the top of the head and whispered, "I love you Babe."

She turned to me and smiled, "I love you too Ranger."

I leaned down and kissed her, and that led to us making each other very, very happy.


	9. Rafael's First Tooth

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 9: Rafael's First Tooth

Rafael's POV:

Damn! What the hell is that in my mouth! Ow! It Hurts! MOMMA! MOMMA! Suddenly momma comes rushing into my room still in her jammies. She quickly picks me up and cuddles me close. I snuggle into her thinking, 'It hurts momma!' I feel her gently probing and the love she gives off makes the hurting diminish slightly. She walks us out to the kitchen and runs cold water over a clean cloth before gently pressing it on my gums. 'Oh momma that feels good. I don't like that pain!'

I feel her talking to me in my head, 'Its okay Rafael. Momma's here and I'll make it better. Shh baby, momma's got you now.'

I lay against her as she rummages in the refrigerator and pulls out a ring. She slides that between the cloth and puts it in my mouth. Oh, that's nice and cool, but not too cold and it sure does feel better than that pain. Momma carries me back into my room and sits down in the rocking chair. She rocks us back and forth as she holds the cold cloth to my mouth. Pretty soon I start to get sleepy and close my eyes. For a while I can forget the pain in my mouth because the cold momma put there makes it not hurt so bad.

Stephanie's POV:

When I heard Rafael yelling for me and I knew he was in pain, I couldn't get to him fast enough. Hearing his cries of pain was like getting my heart rip to shreds. I quickly picked him up and slipped inside so I could see what was causing my baby so much pain. When I realized it was his gums that were hurting, I knew what the problem was. Rafael was cutting his first tooth. I'd bought some firm rubber teething rings a few weeks ago and put them in the fridge. I pulled one out and slipped it between the folded cloth I had just used to massage his gums. I carried him into the nursery and sat holding him and rocking as I held the cool teething ring in his mouth. Once I was sure he was sleeping, I laid him down and ran back to shower and dress. I wanted to do some research before he woke up again.

I booted up my lap top and googled teething. I ran down the information and decided I was on the right track. I had massaged Rafael's gums with the cool cloth before placing the firm rubber teether between the folds of the cloth and holding that to his mouth. I was glad I had gone with my first instinct and not placed the teethers in the freezer though because contact with extreme cold can be harmful. I made note of the other tips the site offered and had just finished when I heard Rafael stirring. I went in and noticed he was just opening his eyes and he didn't look happy. The pain must be coming back. I lifted him and quickly bathed him and got him dressed in blue sweats. I put socks on his feet but skipped the shoes. I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.

Once I had him dressed I carried him out to the kitchen. Ranger was just coming in. He took one look at me and enfolded us in his arms. "What's the matter Babe?"

"Rafael woke up in pain this morning. I'm pretty sure he's cutting a tooth."

Ranger rubbed Rafael's back and talked soothingly to him. I rested my head against Ranger's chest. We were still standing there a few minutes later when Ella walked in. She looked surprised to see us. Considering she was usually gone before we were ready for breakfast, I understood her surprise. I turned and grimaced. "Rafael seems to be cutting is first tooth."

"Oh dear. Is there anything special I can do?"

"We just need to make sure there is a supply of teething rings in the fridge. Also, it seems that chilled hard food like carrots or cucumbers can help but they have to be peeled and we need to watch out that he doesn't get pieces in his mouth because he might choke on them. We can try Tylenol or motrin but no teething medicines that have benzocaine because that has been associated with a rare but serious condition that reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood called methemoglobinemia. We also need to make sure he stays dry when he drools, so maybe we should have a supply of clean wash cloths in every room."

Ella nodded, "Should I fill some bottles to get cool?"

I nodded, "That's a good idea, but we need to use water because prolonged contact with sugar from juice, milk, or formula can cause tooth decay."

I tried to put Rafael in his highchair, but he was clingy and didn't want to let go. I felt bad because there wasn't going to be much I could do to stop the pain from occurring each time he cut a tooth, all I could do was the best I could to relieve his symptoms. Needless to say, I sat down with Rafael in my lap. Ranger brought me over a syringe with Tylenol in it and I told Rafael that this would help so the pain wasn't so bad. He let me empty the medicine in his mouth and swallowed it. I moved my shirt so he could nurse. His mouth must really be hurting because he only made a small attempt to nurse. I found I was having a hard time eating as well because I hated that he was in pain.

It took 5 days for the tooth to break through, and another 2 days before Rafael was back to his old self. I had gone in to pick him up to get him ready for the day, and there he was sitting in his crib. When he saw me he smiled, showing off his 2 new teeth on his bottom gum in the front. I returned his smile and lifted him into my arms.

Rafael's POV:

I felt miserable. My mouth hurt so bad. Momma did as much as she could to help with the pain, but it didn't take it all away. I had a hard time eating anything. I liked the hard carrots and cucumbers momma and Ella kept in the fridge for me. They were pretty tasty. I liked it when momma massaged my gums and when she'd hold the teething ring to my mouth so I could chew on it. She was forever wiping my chin to keep it dry. The medicine helped a little, but it also made me sleepy and I didn't like sleeping all the time.

I couldn't believe it when the pain let up after the teeth broke through. There was still a little pain, but it was lots better. Then this morning, no pain. When momma came in my room, I was sitting in my bed and I smiled. 'How do you like my new teeth momma?'

She smiled at me and lifted me into her arms. She gave me a bath and got me dressed. Jeans, light blue sweatshirt, socks and sneakers. No more slouching around in sweats and no shoes huh? Momma carried me into the kitchen and buckled me into my highchair. She went and opened a jar of cereal for me and brought it over. I scarfed it down I was so hungry. I hadn't been eating so good the past week because of the pain. In no time the cereal was gone and I was looking at momma like, 'What did you do with my food?' Momma wiped my face and let me nurse.

Dad was surprised when he came in and I was already done. Momma sat me back in my chair so I could visit with them while they ate. Man that food sure looked good. Gee, is there drool on my chin here momma? I watched as momma got a bite of her pancakes onto her fork and put it in her mouth. She moaned and I rolled my eyes. You're killin' me here momma. I'm still starving! Just then she turns and looks at me and smiles. She cuts a small piece of pancake and gets it on her fork before lifting it to my mouth. I open up and OH! YUM! That is some righteous food there. Man that stuff tastes good. How about another bite momma? Yes! She's cutting it, scooping it up, and…SCORE! YUM! Damn that's good shit!

I look up and see momma looking at me with her eyebrow raised, oops! Sorry momma. I'll keep a lid on the language. Momma smiled and I grinned at her before turning to dad. When momma gave me another bite, dad gave her a pained look. Huh? What's up with the look dad? Then dad just shakes his head and says, "Try not to give him too much sugar will you Babe."

Momma smiles and I can't help laughing. What _is_ this aversion to sugar dad has?


	10. A Family Reunited

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 10: A Family Reunited

Hal's POV:

I don't know how Rafael knew the information he'd given me on New Year's Eve, but I intended checking it out. I'd missed my sister over the past two years. She was the only family I had left. I'd had some copies made of Lainey's picture and I asked a couple of the guys to go with and help me look for her. Woody and Binkie were going with, as was Bobbie. Today we were headed to Middletown, New Jersey. I had checked out the address that Rafael had given me New Year's Eve, only to find the man who was keeping Lainey wasn't doing it to help her. He was holding her against her will. Apparently a stranger had come to town and witnessed the man trying to keep Lainey from leaving the house. The stranger had helped Lainey get away and in the process the house had exploded. Now the man who'd been keeping Lainey the past two years was dead, which was confirmed by an autopsy, and she was with the man who'd helped her get away somewhere in the town.

I headed down to the garage to meet Bobbie, Woody and Binkie. When I stepped into the garage, I wondered what was going on. Woody, Binkie and Bobbie were standing by one SUV, and Ranger, Stephanie, Rafael, and Hector were standing by the Cayenne. I must have looked confused because Ranger nodded and said, "Thought you could use some extra hands."

I got a lump in my throat and had a hard time swallowing. I just nodded and finally got out, "Thank you."

Everyone got in the vehicles and we headed to Middletown, New Jersey. An hour and fifteen minutes later we were stopping on Bayside Pkwy off Ocean Ave. I handed out photos and everyone started going door to door. We'd been up and down the neighborhood and there was only one house left to try. We were nearly back to where our vehicles were parked and the house was more on Ocean Ave.

Stephanie went up to the door and rang the bell. When the door was opened, her eyes widened in surprise. "Diesel! What are you doing here?"

"Well Princess, I could ask you the same thing. Is Hal with you?"

She nodded and turned to us and smiled, "I think we found her."

I hurried up to the door and Diesel looked into my eyes for several minutes before he nodded and moved back so we could enter. There, huddled behind him was the most beautiful person in the world to me. "Lainey?"

She met my gaze and ran to me, throwing herself in my arms. I held her and comforted her and whispered, "Thank God I found you. They told me you were dead."

She nodded and replied, "I was told you had been killed and that I was in witness protection. I couldn't remember anything until one day I was out in the yard and Diesel stopped by to ask directions. Miller came out of the house and was furious we were talking. Next thing I know Miller ran into the house to get his gun and the house blew up. Diesel brought me here and said he'd help me find my family. That was New Year's Eve. Then yesterday Diesel showed me a picture of his Princess and there you were in the photo and everything came rushing back at me."

"Oh Lainey, are you okay?"

"I am now Hal. How did you find me?"

I looked over to Rafael and he winked at me. I smiled and told her she wouldn't believe me if I told her. She hugged me tight and I asked her if she wanted to come back to Trenton with me. She looked at Diesel and I could see her hesitate. He smiled at her and said, "Go with your brother little one. Stephanie knows how to get in touch with me."

I could see Lainey wanted to argue, but she just nodded. "Thank you. For everything."

Diesel nodded and suddenly disappeared. I led Lainey out to the SUV and we headed back to Trenton on the I-95 S.

Rafael's POV:

I was glad Hal found his sister. She was really pretty, nearly as pretty as momma. She was about three inches taller than momma, and she had more up top. Her hair was black and she had gray eyes. She had a sadness about her; I think it was because Diesel had to leave. She was glad to see Hal, but she already missed Diesel. I focused and saw her in a fancy white dress and Diesel was wearing a white tux. Momma and dad were standing beside them on one side with me in dad's arms and Hal was standing on the other side. I smiled. I knew Hal's sister was going to be okay. She was part of our family now.


	11. Rafael Pulls Himself Up At A Wedding

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

_Special Note: When Rafael was teething, the information on what to do for teething was googled. I forgot to mention that and wanted to take time to do so. _

Chapter 11: Rafael Pulls Himself Up At A Wedding

Stephanie's POV:

The last 6 weeks had been very eventful. Hal had his sister back and they were closer than ever. They were able to make up for the last two years of thinking the other no longer existed. Once Hal had realized his sister had fallen for Diesel, he asked me to contact Diesel so he could talk to him. I arranged the meeting and was a little nervous of Diesel's reaction when Hal asked him what his intentions were towards his sister.

Diesel looked shocked and hesitated a moment before saying, "I think she's a wonderful person and I want to know her better."

"Do you plan to use your abilities as an unmentionable to make my sister do anything she might otherwise not do?"

Diesel met Hal's gaze and said, "I intend to treat your sister with the utmost respect."

Hal nodded. "Thank you. I also want to thank you for helping her when she needed it."

Diesel nodded. I decided to have him use the apartment on 4 that Lula and I had used all those months ago. Diesel agreed, because that way he got to spend more time with Lainey. They spent most of their time together. Two weeks ago Diesel had asked Lainey to marry him. She of course was head over heels in love with him and said yes. Of course, they decided they wanted to get married on Valentine's Day and we only had two weeks to get everything ready.

Lula, Grams, Ella and I helped Lainey get everything set for today. She had chosen a beautiful dress that fit her perfectly. I had to look twice at Diesel when he said he had nothing to do with it, not sure I believed him. It seemed like everything we ordered was doable and we were able to find what we needed in stock. If I didn't know better I'd think we had a great deal of help, but I trusted Diesel was telling me the truth.

Lainey had asked me to be her Matron of Honor and Diesel had asked Ranger to be his Best Man. Hal was giving the bride away, and Rafael would be in Ranger's arms during the ceremony and would have a little pillow held by Velcro on his arm that the rings were tied to. Although it was questionable whether Diesel would show up on the video and photos, Randy had agreed to do what he could. The wedding was going to take place in the garden of what would be Diesel and Lainey's new home. I had every confidence the weather would cooperate. I was with Lainey, Grams, Lula and Ella at the house getting all the last minute details taken care of. We were in the process of getting dressed. Rafael was with his dad and I knew Ranger would take care of our son.

Hal's POV:

Today was a happy day for me. My older sister was back in my life and today was the most important day in her life. She was marrying the man she loved. We'd done a lot of catching up the past 6 weeks, and I was honored to walk her down the aisle this afternoon. I was glad that she would be living so close and I would get to see more of her. I was glad she had a man like Diesel beside her. I got to thinking about how Diesel was related to Stephanie and Ranger and had a thought. Once Diesel had married Lainey, I would be Diesel's brother-in-law. Since Lainey would be kinda like Stephanie's mother and Ranger's mother-in-law, did that make me Stephanie and Ranger's Uncle? How weird that my boss might actually end up being my nephew-in-law.

Ranger's POV:

I was ready for the ceremony to begin. I had Rafael all ready for his debut as ring bearer; he looked adorable in the miniature tux. How Babe was able to find one small enough was one for the books. I looked over to Diesel and shook my head at the beauty of the man. He practically glowed, and I knew it was because of the love he felt for Lainey. She was the light his soul craved when it had been faced by too much darkness. I knew that because I felt the same for Babe.

We rode to the house in the Turbo. Rafael was safe in his car seat in the back. I wondered what a child of Diesel and Lainey's would be like. Bet they'd have more issues than Babe and I had. We were lucky. Rafael was a good baby. We were always proud of him. I felt a warmth envelope me and knew it was love emanating from Rafael. I smiled and thought, 'I love you too son.' There was a giggle from the back seat and I knew he'd heard me.

We reached the house 30 minutes before the wedding was due to start. Hal was already there, he would be giving Lainey away. Tank was helping Lula out with Lillie. I shook my head. It was weird watching Tank hold his baby daughter. She looked like a doll in his arms. I'd known he would make a great father. He loved whenever Rafael spent time with us. I smiled, thinking of how he was with Lillie. The second she made a sound he had her in his arms. I pitied the poor bastard that tried to take advantage of Lillie. The creep wouldn't stand a chance. My eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, if Tank didn't end the miserable creep's life then I would. No one was going to mess with our girls. I knew if I ever had a girl, that Tank would back me up on creep detail.

We headed into the house and got all set up in the guest bedroom. The girls were using the master bedroom. When the time came for us to head out to the garden, I lifted Rafael in my arms and we headed out. I stood there beside Diesel waiting for the wedding march to indicate the wedding was starting. Suddenly, I knew Babe was on her way. I got that connected electricity that happened whenever she was near. I turned and my eyes lit up with love for her as she walked down the aisle towards where we were standing. She was beautiful. Babe walked down the aisle in a floor length, royal blue satin, strapless gown. Her hair was up with tendrils falling down. Our eyes met and held for several seconds before she took her place on the bride's side of the aisle.

We turned and then it was Lainey's turn to walk down the aisle on Hal's arm. I knew the look Diesel wore on his face. That was the way I looked at Babe. Lainey looked at Diesel the same way. The priest went through the ceremony and when he announced them man and wife, I got the feeling there were more people than we could see at this wedding. I glanced up and wondered if the elders, as Diesel called them, were there. If they were, I really wanted to thank them for not giving Diesel too hard of a time for saving my Babe. She'd brought light into my world, and not just mine, but that of my men's as well. She saved us all. There were so many people who had benefitted by knowing my Babe. Suddenly, I felt an intense probing and I narrowed my eyes and thought, 'What the hell?' As quickly as it started it ended. I heard a yelp and several whispered apologies. Then I heard a, 'She's touched our lives too, and we too are better for knowing her. By the way, uh…how old is your son? He's pretty strong for his age. Maybe we could test him….uh, no…never mind. It was just a suggestion. We won't mention it again.'

Rafael's POV:

We were riding in the car to Diesel's new house. He was getting married today. I felt dad's thoughts were on me and I heard him say I was a good baby and that he and mom were always proud of me. I felt such love for him that it wrapped around us. Dad smiled and thought, 'I love you too son.' I giggled. I always liked it when dad said he loved me.

I got a picture of Tank holding Lillie and knew dad was thinking of them. Uncle Tank was awesome. We had a great time whenever I went with dad. I could tell dad was thinking about Uncle Tank always being right there the second Lillie made a sound. Dad was thinking he would pity the poor bastard that tried to take advantage of Lillie. Yeah, I agreed with dad the creep wouldn't stand a chance. I laughed when dad narrowed his eyes at that thought and went on to conclude if Tank didn't end the miserable creeps life then he would. No one was going to mess with their girls. I agreed; if momma and dad had a girl, Uncle Tank would back dad up on creep detail too. I just smiled, 'Don't worry about it dad. I have both your backs. No one is going to mess with my little Lillie and if I have a sister and some creep comes around I'll mop the floor with him.'

Dad started wondering if the elders were around. I focused and saw the crowd watching. You called it dad. Dad was thinking he wanted to thank the elders for not giving Diesel too hard of a time for saving momma. I frowned. How did Diesel save momma? I didn't hear what else dad was thinking because I was trying to figure out exactly how Diesel saved momma. I think I'd always had that feeling, like Diesel was the reason momma was here. Suddenly there was an intense pressure and I felt dad being probed. I heard him think, 'What the hell?' I focused and narrowed my eyes. 'That's my dad damn it! You better back off before I get mad! The probing continued so I waved my arm and there were several yelps and then whispered apologies. Then, 'She's touched our lives too, and we too are better for knowing her. By the way, uh…how old is your son? He's pretty strong for his age. Maybe we could test him….uh, no…never mind. It was just a suggestion. We won't mention it again.'

You better believe never mind! You guys aren't testing me. I continued to watch them as they limped from the area. I turned and met Diesel's eyes. He looked a little shocked. I smiled and waved at him. 'Hey dude, you're cool. You're family after all. You're way cooler than the rest of them elders. Oh, and by the way, you think I have mad skills? Wait till your little boy is born, then you're going to see mad skills.' I wink at him and grab dad's pant leg. Dad had set me down on the ground for a second and I gripped the fabric to help pull myself into a standing position. I hear a gasp and look over to see momma crying with joy. I can feel her and dad in my head saying 'Proud of you son.' I smile and let my love embrace all of us. What a wonderful Valentine's Day.


	12. Rafael's First Step

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 12: Rafael's First Step

Stephanie's POV:

I woke when Ranger slipped out of bed and mumbled, "Give me a minute and I'll join you."

He leaned over and kissed me, "Go back to sleep Babe."

I laughed, "How can you not be tired? I don't think we got an hour of sleep last night."

Ranger grinned down at me and said, "Oh, I'm tired Babe. But I'm also very relaxed."

I swatted playfully at him and he covered me. Our tongues dueled as our mouths met. Things were just getting interesting when Ranger's phone rang. He growled as he pressed the send button and growled, "This better be fucking important."

There was silence on the other end for a couple seconds and then a hesitant, "Uh…boss, there's a unit here from Special Forces."

Ranger's eyes narrowed and he paused for a moment before saying, "I'll be right down."

He ended the call and gave me one more kiss before pushing himself off the bed and saying, "I'll see you later Babe. I need to go see what's going on."

I nodded. "Rafael and I will be down shortly."

He gave a miniscule nod before heading down to the gym. I threw back the covers and padded into the bathroom where I brushed my teeth, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and dressed in black yoga pants and a green t-shirt before heading into the bedroom and putting on socks and running shoes. Once I was ready I went into the nursery and picked up a smiling Rafael. I changed his diaper and slipped a pair of black sweat pants and a green sweatshirt on him, adding socks and sneakers. I lifted him and headed for the elevator. When we walked into the gym, there was a group of 23 guys I'd never seen before. They were dressed in SWAT black. With them was an old friend, The General.

Ranger's POV:

When Chance had called to tell me there was a unit of Special Forces guys in the building, I reluctantly left Babe to go down and see what they wanted. I stepped out of the elevator into the Lobby and smiled. The General was standing there with a group of 23 Special Forces guys dressed in SWAT black. I nodded to the General and asked, "What can I do for you General?"

He turned to face me and nodded, "Ranger. I hear you have the Wii game that's all the rage. Seems the stores can't keep it in stock."

I raised an eyebrow, "I have it."

"Wonder if we might borrow it to train a bunch of new recruits?"

"Come on up to the gym and we'll talk."

I glanced at the guys and noticed them watching us. They were looking at the General like they were humoring him, but really thought he was too old for this shit. I noticed a few of them giving me speculative glances like they thought they might know who I was but also figured I'd grown soft in the past year. I led the way to the stairwell and headed up to the gym floor. I smiled as I noticed my A team was in the gym working out.

When I entered, the men stopped what they were doing and came over to stand in a semicircle behind me. I noticed their actions didn't surprise the General. He nodded to Tank, Lester, and Bobby. He gave the rest of the guys a hard look, like he remembered them from their trip to the compound. He turned back to me and I nodded. He smiled. Several of the men in his group were getting restless and a couple even coughed once or twice, as if to call the General's attention to the fact he needed to get on with business.

I saw movement and let my gaze move to the door. I had my blank look firmly in place but inside I was smiling as Babe and Rafael walked into the gym. The General's eyes lit up and I saw some of the guys silently groan as the General walked over and enfolded Babe in a hug. I noticed Rafael looked a little put out until he realized his momma knew the General and everything was okay. Suddenly his eyes were alert and he was looking around, as if there were a threat close at hand. I noticed one of the guys in the back leering at Babe and my eyes narrowed.

Babe walked over to where we were standing, the General still beside her, and her gaze met mine. I could tell the guy in back leering at her wasn't setting well with her either. I raised an eyebrow to see if she wanted me to deal with him and she gave a slight shake of her head to let me know she would deal with it. Rafael looked at me with a raised eyebrow as if asking if I was going to let her handle it and I smiled at him. I knew his momma could handle him with no problem. If she needed my help, I was here.

The General looked at the group and said, "Okay, listen up while the game is explained to you."

The one doing the leering smirked and said, "No offense General, but most of us are computer savvy. We can operate a simple Wii game."

My gaze met Babe's and I knew what she was thinking. I gave a miniscule nod and her eyes lit up. I turned to the General and offered, "Sir, if you would like to give your men a shot at the game, be our guests."

The General smiled and nodded. "Thank you Ranger." He turned to the unit and said, "Alright. You Bozo's think you're so hot, let's see what you have." The General turned and told the idiot who was still leering at Babe, "You're up first Hennesey."

Hennesey stepped up and took the control for the Wii. I nodded and Ram started the game running. In less than 5 minutes the control was dead because Hennesey was taken out by enemy fire. The man's mouth dropped open and he looked shocked. He handed the control over and one by one the rest of the unit did their best against the game. There were only a handful that made it to the 20 minute mark, which is where 75% of my men fell in.

When the last guy had taken his turn and been declared dead by the game, Hennesey said, "It's just a game. We'd do a lot better in a real life situation."

The General shook his head and said, "I doubt it. I brought you here to get you Bozo's to realize you're not as hot as you think you are. I can't in good conscious put your unit in the field, because 75% of you would be dead on your first mission. That's too high a cost."

Another man stepped forward. "With all due respect sir, I can't see anyone doing any better on the game than we did."

I looked at the speaker and my eyes narrowed, "You did better than most of your unit, but your score is still one of the lowest."

He turned and glared at me. "How many times have you played the game?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I've only had 1 turn."

He smirked, "Right."

My eyes narrowed. Vince spoke up, "The game records each player. There's no way to tamper with it. I can show you Ranger has only played the game once."

I asked, "What's your name?"

"Johnson."

"Alright Johnson, are you willing to accept the truth that I've only played the game once?"

He looked at the rest of the guys in his unit and they were nodding. Johnson turned back to me and said, "Yeah. We'll accept you only played once."

"So let's each take a turn and see what happens."

Johnson smiled and said, "Okay. Mind if I go first so I can show you how it's done?"

I waved him forward, "Be my guest."

Johnson took the controls and the game was restarted. He did his best, but finally the control refused to work for him when he'd been taken out by a sniper. He took a deep breath and waited for his score. He'd managed to get a much higher score and was now in the top 20%. He smiled and handed me the control.

I took the control and nodded for Ram to reset. For the next 40 minutes I proceeded to play the game. When the screen went blank, there was total silence for several seconds before Johnson asked, "What does that mean?"

Babe grinned and replied, "That, Mr. Johnson means that Ranger beat the game and completed the mission. He took out the target."

Johnson's eyes widened, "No way!" He turned to me, "How the hell did you do that?"

The General smiled, "Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Batman."

There was shock on several faces; Hennesey looked like he was going to be ill. He glanced Babe's way and then back at me, swallowed hard and asked, "Does that mean she's Wonder Woman and your wife?"

I let him glimpse the monster within as I replied, "That's exactly what it means."

Babe set Rafael down on one of the mat's close by and walked to the Wii machine. She opened the control panel and used the computer to send the information to the General's email address. When she finished, she walked back over and leaned against me. She smiled at the General and said, "I sent the game to your email address. You can download it onto a disc and use it anytime. I put my code in so you won't get into trouble."

Several mouths dropped open. The General nodded and said, "Thank you Steph. I appreciate it. Maybe these Bozo's will learn something after all."

Babe grinned, "If any of you are under the misunderstanding that you can do better in real life, maybe you might ask one of these gentlemen to work on the mats with you. You'll get an up close and personal lesson in how little you know."

Hennesey just wasn't smart. He sent me a glance and stepped up to Babe, "Okay. Show me what you have doll."

Babe's eyes narrowed and in two seconds she had Hennesey down begging to be let go. She leaned down close to him and I heard her say, "You will not look at me or talk to me ever again. Got it?"

Hennesey nodded. Babe released him and he stood and walked towards the back of the group. Suddenly he tripped on air and kissed the floor. He went to get up and went back down even harder. I turned and found Rafael had pulled himself up and was standing on his own. Suddenly he took a step forward and then another. Babe's head whipped around and she was watching too. Rafael was grinning ear-to-ear, walking to his momma. Babe scooped him up in her arms and hugged him close. I put my hand on his head and thought, 'Proud of you son.' Suddenly, Rafael's smile left his face and he narrowed his eyes and tracked Hennesey. I saw the shock on Hennesey's face before he fainted. Rafael turned to meet my gaze and I heard him say, 'Better watch that one dad. He's not too stable.'

I stepped over to the General and relayed the information. The General nodded and said he'd take care of it. The General turned and told the unit they were going. A young man in his early 20's stepped forward. He was 6' 3" in height and about 230 pounds. He was a good looking young man with blonde hair and green eyes. He looked at the General and asked with a respectful air, "Sir, could we take advantage of the offer to spar with these men?"

I saw the young man was being genuine. Like he really thought he might learn something. I nodded and the General gave the okay. There were 7 from the unit who stepped forward. I noticed they were the 7 high scores from the group. The young man looked at his buddies and said, "Pick your man."

I was impressed when the men stepped forward. They all stopped in front of us. The blonde stood in front of me and the other six chose Tank, Lester, Bobby, Ram, Cal, and Hector. We moved to the mats and I gave a nod so the men had permission for no holds barred. Each of the young men gave a great effort, but 20 minutes later each had called uncle. I held out my hand to my opponent and told him he did well. I told him when he got out to look me up if he wanted a job, and that went for the other six as well. He thanked me and told me he learned a valuable lesson and wouldn't forget it.

Rafael's POV:

I was pissed when that creep wanted to take my momma on. I know dad thought momma could take care of herself, but he was just asking for it. I made sure he kissed the floor, and for good measure I let him kiss it again. I told dad to watch out for him. There was something not right there. He told the General and the General said he'd handle it. I focused to see if I liked the way it was to be handled. Dad and some of the guys were sparring with a group from the unit. I knew those were the only seven who had a chance making it out alive. The rest thought they had all the answers. There was no telling them anything.

I focused on Hennesey. I saw him in a padded cell screaming for someone to let him out. Suddenly there was a darkness and a really creepy man stepped forward and smiled. "I'll let you out. But you have to give me something."

Hennesey begged, "Anything. Anything."

There was a laugh and suddenly the creepy guy floated into Hennesey. There was a pop and Diesel was there. A fight ensued and when it was all over Creepy guy and Hennesey were both dead on the ground. Creepy guy suddenly vanished. I focused harder and called Diesel. I showed him what I saw and I felt him envelop me with a white light. I knew I was safe, and that no harm would come to momma or dad. My family would be safe. I nodded to let Diesel know I'd leave it in his hands but I had his back if he needed me. He smiled and told me good to know and he was proud of me. I smiled.

I turned back to momma and leaned in and kissed her cheek. She laughed and told me she loved me. 'Right back at ya momma.'

When dad joined us we headed up to 7 for breakfast. Momma handed me off to dad and went in to get dressed. When she came back out she was wearing jeans and a green t-shirt. She told dad he needed to wear green today so he doesn't get pinched. Dad kissed her cheek and headed in to dress while momma gave me a bath and dressed me. I rolled my eyes at the outfit. Momma just laughed and said, "It's only once a year. Today is St. Patrick's Day and if we don't wear green, people might pinch us."

'Just let them try and pinch us momma. I'll take care of them but good.'

We were headed to the kitchen when I heard dad's voice in my head as he got a look at what momma set out for him to wear. "Babe." I laughed. Guess dad's as impressed with this green shit as I am.


	13. Rafael's First Easter

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 13: Rafael's First Easter

Rafael's POV:

I woke up and it was still dark. I frowned, wondering what had disturbed my sleep. I listened…there it was. Sounded like someone moving around. That wasn't good. I knew momma and dad would make no sounds if it was them moving around, and it didn't feel like Ella. Okay, time to check this out. I sat up and looked around. I narrowed my eyes and concentrated on the side of my bed that I saw momma move up and down. I moved over to the side and looked over the side. Man! That looked like a long ways down. I studied the situation for several seconds and then decided on a plan of attack. I executed my plan and made it out of bed and onto the floor without any bumps or bruises, then I headed towards the sounds. I was careful not to make any sounds.

I made my way into the den and saw someone hopping around. I focused and smiled. I knew he wouldn't hurt me. I was surprised he'd come here though. Didn't he know if dad knew he was here in the building, he'd be a dead guy….or was that bunny? Then I felt the other presence. I turned and looked at Diesel. He was smiling ear-to-ear. I heard him in my mind, 'What are you doing up?'

'He was making noise and I wanted to see what was going on.'

'Go back to bed. Everything is okay.'

'Are you nuts? Dad will kill him if he finds him in here.'

'Naw, your dad's a cool guy. Besides, your mom knows we're here.'

I knew he was telling me the truth as I was lifted into momma's arms. She smiled and joined our conversation, 'Keep it down or you'll wake Ranger. He had a busy night last night and I want him to get some sleep.'

Diesel grimaced, 'TMI.'

Momma rolled her eyes, 'He had some calls he had to go out on. He just got back home an hour ago.'

'Why are they here momma?'

'Today is Easter Rafael. The Easter Bunny leaves baskets of goodies for all good little boys and girls. I'm guessing Diesel came because the Easter Bunny couldn't get in without setting off the sensors.'

At that moment the guy with the floppy ears hopped over to us and grumbled, 'Who ever heard of banning sugar? And having a sensor that detects it is a little over the top don't ya think?'

At that moment the lights switched on and I smiled, 'Busted.'

Dad walked into the room glaring at the floppy eared dude. "There's a no contraband rule. Why are you in my apartment? In my building? Bringing contraband to my home?"

My eyes widened, dad looked pissed beyond anything I'd ever seen. I think it was them coming into our apartment without permission that was the cause of his anger. Diesel looked a little uneasy and the floppy eared dude had a wet spot in front that smelled kinda bad, like when I was wet and needed a diaper change. Do grownups wet themselves? Momma was smiling.

Diesel stepped forward, "Sorry Ranger. You can blame me. I wanted Rafael to have an Easter basket and since Bud couldn't get inside without some help, I tagged along. I popped us in. Bud tried, but with your men he couldn't get through, and then there was the sensor, so he had no hope."

Dad nodded but he still didn't look happy. I noticed something in the corner and let momma know I wanted down. She set me on the floor and I walked over and picked up the basket. My eyes widened as I got a load of all the goodies. I carried it back over to momma and held it up to her with a smile on my face. She lifted me up and we took a look at my bounty. I looked around and then turned to floppy eared dude, 'Where's momma's basket?'

Bunny dude raised his eyebrows and looked at Diesel. Diesel smiled and suddenly Bunny was holding another basket loaded with goodies. Momma moaned and took a bite of one of her Boston Cream Doughnuts. I looked over at dad and he didn't look too happy. I turned back to Diesel and gave him a look. Diesel rolled his eyes and sighed, but then there was a popping sound and Bunny was handing dad a basket. I wrinkled my nose as I got a load of what was in dad's basket. Gee, sure hoped dad didn't offer me any of that crap. Uh oh. I smiled. 'Hi dad.'

"Are we done now?"

Diesel smiled at dad and nodded, "We'll let you get back to sleep. Happy Easter everyone."

Dad was grumbling about people disturbing others when they were trying to sleep and how would he like it if his sleep was disturbed. I smiled and let dad know, 'Don't worry dad. Diesel won't be getting much sleep when the baby is born.'

Everyone froze. Diesel looked at me with wide eyes and he looked a little pale too. "What do you mean by when the baby comes?"

I frown and turn to momma, 'Lainey's having a baby. Didn't she tell you?'

Momma chuckled, "No. Lainey hasn't mentioned it yet. She might not be aware of it yet herself."

Diesel looked kinda freaked. Momma walked over and kissed his cheek. "You'll be a wonderful dad."

I had a sudden thought and clued momma into what I was thinking, 'Do you think he has baskets for Uncle Tank, Aunt Lula, Lillie, and the rest of the Rangeman guys?'

We turned to Diesel and Bunny and raised our eyebrows. Bunny rolled his eyes and sighed before turning to Diesel. Diesel frowned and said, "I can get them here, but getting them where they need to be…"

I smiled, 'I can help you out there dude. You pop and I'll focus.'

Diesel looked at me kinda funny but shrugged and I could see him narrow his eyes and concentrate. I followed suit and five minutes later we had all the baskets placed. They said good bye and disappeared and we went back to bed. I couldn't wait till it was time to be up. I planned on having some of my treats. Just before I nodded off, I had a thought. I focused and then when I was satisfied, I closed my eyes and went to sleep thinking, 'I got us covered momma. Nothing's going to happen to our sugar as long as I'm around.'

Tank's POV:

What the hell? How did this stuff get here? I pulled out my phone and called down to the control room.

"Ram here."

"Ram, this is Tank. We have intruders during the night?"

"You get a basket too?"

"What do you mean too?"

"Seems like everyone in the building is calling to find out about intruders and then telling me about a basket they found with contraband."

Just then Lula comes out of the bedroom and joined me. She sees the basket and starts squealing as she gets a load of the goodies. I turn back to my conversation, "Have you reported it to Ranger yet?"

I could hear Ram hesitating, "I didn't want to wake him. He had an eventful night. He's only been sleeping a few hours."

I laughed, "Chicken shit. You know he's gonna be pissed you didn't tell him."

"I'm calling now."

I hung up and headed into the shower. When I walked into the conference room for the meeting, Ranger was there at the head of the table. Once we were all there Ranger narrowed his eyes and looked at each of us in turn. "I'm only saying this once. No snickers, no jokes, and no mentioning it again. The Easter Bunny showed up _very_ early this morning and left everyone a basket. Just except it and move on."

I raised an eyebrow and looked around at the others. They were as surprised as I was, but I see they had the good sense not to say a word too. After all, I wanted to live.


	14. Nine Month Checkup

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 14: Nine Month Check Up

Stephanie's POV:

I stretched and slipped from bed. I was grateful Ranger let me sleep in this morning. We had a_ very_ busy night and the evidence was written all over my face when I looked in the bathroom mirror. Oh what that man could do to me with his hands and mouth, not to mention the main attraction. I stripped down and stepped into the shower where I washed my hair and cleaned myself up. Once I'd dried off, I added gel to my hair and brushed it out before tying it back into a ponytail. I dressed, slipping on blue jeans, a yellow t-shirt, socks and sneakers. Once I was ready I went in to get Rafael. He was on the floor playing with his toys when I entered his room. I smiled and went over to lift him into my arms. I took him over to the changing table and stripped him down before giving him a bath in his special tub. I realized the tub was getting a little small, and figured I would need to probably use the bathtub the next time I gave him a bath.

Once he was all clean and I had dried him off, I diapered him and put socks on his feet as well as a onesy. I lifted him in my arms and went over to the dresser to find an outfit. I went to reach for the outfit Grams had given Rafael when we went over on Easter and couldn't help but laugh when Rafael shuddered. I turned my head to look at him and raised an eyebrow.

Rafael sighed and rolled his eyes. 'I need an outfit that reflects my image.'

Rafael's POV:

Momma bit her lip and looked at the other outfits in the drawer. She put her hand on a purple outfit and my eyes widened in horror. "Mama."

I got a squishy feeling inside when I saw the tears in her eyes. 'Oh man! No! Don't cry momma, okay…..put me in the purple outfit…..put me in the pink, green, and black outfit grandma got me….anything. Just don't cry please.'

Momma leaned her head gently against my forehead and whispered, "I'm not crying about the outfits. I'm crying because you called me mama. That's the first time you've done that."

I relaxed and moved my head so I could kiss her cheek. 'Love you momma.'

We stayed like that for several minutes before momma took a deep breath and said, "Okay. We have to get going because we're meeting Lula and Lillie in the garage. What looks good to you?"

I look in the drawer and my eyes light up when I spot a black outfit with navy blue highlights in the top. The top was a long sleeved shirt that buttoned up the front and had button cuffs at the wrist. Momma rolls her eyes and picks it up before carrying me over to the changing table and dressing me. She adds socks and my sneakers and then we head out to the kitchen where she helped me eat my cereal. She put some Fruit Loops on my tray so I could eat them along with the cereal she fed me. I managed not to get any food on my clothes and when I'd finished eating momma washed me off with a wet cloth. Dad had joined us for breakfast and while I watched them eat, I nursed.

Stephanie's POV:

Once Rafael finished nursing, I washed him up and cleaned up myself. I stopped back in the kitchen and Ranger was waiting for us. He smiled and pulled me into his arms. He kissed me and I lost all track of time. When we came up for air he asked, "What time is the appointment Babe?"

I checked the time and groaned, "I'm meeting Lula in the garage in five minutes."

Ranger smiled, "I guess we need to head out then. I'll ride down to five with you."

I grabbed my keys and the key fob and we headed out. I grabbed my bag and the diaper bag as we headed out the door. As we were making our way down in the elevator Rafael held out his arms for his dad to take him. Ranger lifted Rafael into his arms and the baby said, "Dada."

The look on Ranger's face was priceless. There was such love and pride in his eyes it brought a tear to my eyes. I met Ranger's gaze and smiled. I nodded and said, "He called me mama earlier."

"I've been hearing him in my head for the past nine months, but this hits you right in the heart."

I nodded. We reached the fifth floor way too quickly and Ranger handed Rafael back to me. He kissed me thoroughly before stepping off the elevator and heading to his office. Rafael and I continued down to the garage and headed for the Cayenne. I had just put Rafael into his car seat and gotten him all buckled when the elevator opened and Tank and Lula stepped out. Tank was carrying Lillie in her car seat in one hand and the other arm was wrapped around Lula.

Lula smiled, "Hey white girl. You ready to take these two to the doctor's?"

I smiled back at her, "Rafael is talking."

By now Tank had installed Lillie's car seat in the Cayenne. He smiled and bumped fists with Rafael before ducking out of the vehicle and kissing Lula. "What time you ladies plan on getting back?"

Lula gave me a sly look and asked, "We still planning on doing lunch before we head back?"

I grinned and went along with her, "Sure. Did you decide on a spot yet?"

"Well, I liked your suggestion of Pino's. We don't get there nearly enough."

I nodded. "Sounds good to me."

I climbed into the driver's seat and waited for Lula to get in. She gave Tank another kiss and we headed out. It didn't take us long to reach the doctor's. I got Rafael out of his car seat and waited for Lula to unbuckle Lillie's car seat and we headed inside. I stopped at the receptionist's desk and told her Rafael Manoso and Lillie Thibadoux were here for their appointments. The receptionist nodded and told me to have a seat. I went over and sat down by Lula. The room was nearly full with mothers and babies.

After about 15 minutes of waiting, I could tell Rafael was getting bored with waiting. Although there were toys in the waiting room, there was one little girl who was pushing all the other children away when they came over to play. The other children all seemed well behaved and willing to get along with others, but this one girl just refused to share the toys. She was about 4 years old and was a cute child except for her attitude towards the others. Her mother was talking on her cell phone, paying no attention to the girl. There was another little girl of about three who worked up the courage to go over and play with the toys. She was a beautiful child and was on the heavy side. I noticed Rafael watching her as well. She went over and picked up a toy. The older girl came over and started hitting on her and calling her a cow. I frowned and looked at the mother but she was still busy on the phone. The younger child's mother rushed over and picked up her daughter and tried to comfort her.

Rafael wanted down, so I set him on his feet and watched as he toddled over to the toys and picked up the toy that had started the fuss. The older girl glared at him and rushed over to him with her arm pulled back and her fist ready to hit him. I wanted to rush over and pick him up but I felt him tell me, 'No momma. I need to be the one to do this.'

I watched tensely as the girl came to a stop and demanded, "Put it back baby or I'll bust you one."

I saw one of the other moms say something to the woman on the phone. She turned and shrugged saying, "She's sticking up for herself."

The other woman said, "Against a baby much smaller than her."

The woman smiled and nodded before going back to her conversation.

The girl brought her fist forward and it was all I could do to let Rafael handle it himself. The girl's fist hit an invisible wall and she cried out in pain. She tried to hit Rafael again and this time she was thrown back onto the floor by the force when her fist hit the invisible wall. She got up and ran over to her mother crying. The woman pushed the girl away and continued talking. I was appalled at her attitude towards her child, but knew all too well that not all parents loved or wanted their children. The girl lay on the floor crying. Rafael went over and handed the toy to the little 3 year old girl and then made his way over to the crying child. He sat down beside her and placed his hand gently on her. The other girl walked over to them as well and sat down with them. She held the toy out to the older girl. The child stopped crying and looked at the other two. She studied them for several minutes before she stood up, smiled at them and reached a hand down to each of them. Rafael accepted her hand as did the other child. For the next 30 minutes they played together, allowing the other children to play as well.

I noticed that the other mothers were smiling as they watched the children, and many of them were looking at the four year old with a new understanding. She wasn't a bad child; she was just starved for attention and love. When the nurse came out and called the girl back, I took note of her name. I planned to make sure there wasn't more going on below the surface. When it was finally our turn, I stood and collected Rafael. I carried him back to the exam room where we had to wait another 15 minutes before the doctor joined us. Rafael was weighed and measured, and then the doctor checked his eyes, ears and nose. Once he'd checked him over and asked me a whole list of questions, the doctor told me Rafael was off the charts as far as his development. The doctor gave Rafael the shots he was due for and told me I could dress him and that he would see us at his one year checkup.

I stopped to make an appointment for Rafael's next appointment, and then we sat down to wait for Lula and Lillie to get done. They came out ten minutes later and Lula was smiling ear-to-ear. She made Lillie's 6 month checkup appointment and walked over to where we were sitting. "Doc says Lillie is doing just fine."

I smiled and said, "Rafael's development is off the charts."

We headed out to the Cayenne, situated the children and then hopped in and headed for the bonds office. When we got there, Connie asked us how everything was going. Lula set Lillie's car seat down on Connie's desk so she could get a look at her and replied, "Going great! I love being a momma. Tankie says I can stay home with her as long as I want."

Connie got a wistful look on her face, "You two are lucky. I want one of these."

I asked her, "Have you and Tom talked any about having children?"

Connie grinned and held out her hand. She was wearing a diamond on her left ring finger. Lula squealed and I smiled. Connie said, "We're getting married the 21st of June. You're all invited. As a matter of fact, I was hoping you would be my Matron of honor Steph, and Lula I'd like you to be a bridesmaid. Tom plans to ask Ranger to be Best Man and Tank as a Groomsman."

"I'd be honored." I replied.

"Hell yeah, you know I got your back girl." was Lula's reply.

We talked for a while longer and then it was time to head to Pino's. Connie asked if I wanted the Rangeman files to take with me and I took them. We were on our way to Pino's when I saw the lights behind me. I pulled the Cayenne over and looked over to Lula. She frowned and I saw her take her phone out and press the send button. I was going well within the speed limit and I knew there was nothing wrong with the Cayenne. Ranger kept all his vehicles in top condition. I powered down the window only far enough to be able to hear the officer. He was about 6'2 or 3" in height and weighed in at around 250 pounds of solid muscle.

The officer smiled and said, "Howdy miss. Sorry to pull you over, but a call just came over the wire on a black SUV. I'm just checking all vehicles that match the description."

I smiled at the officer and knew someone in the car behind us was laughing. "Who's partnering with you today?"

The officer looked slightly confused but replied, "Officer Trent Michaels."

I looked over at Lula and rolled my eyes. She was relaying the information to Tank. I turned back to the officer and asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm Officer Derek James."

Lula ended her call and snorted, "Tank and Ranger are on their way."

Officer James looked confused and told me, "Miss, you're not in trouble. It's obvious to me that your vehicle isn't the one we are looking for. I just need to run a check and I can send you on your way."

I smiled at him and said, "Your partner is playing a trick on you. Ranger and Tank aren't coming for us, they're coming for him. Michaels knows better than to pull me over, especially when the children are in the car."

"You think you're above the law?"

"Not at all." I looked at Officer James and asked, "Have you heard the Morelli story?"

His eyes widened and he paled, "Please tell me you're not Stephanie Plum."

I smiled, "Don't worry. It's not you Ranger will be after."

He shook his head, "I might be safe from Ranger if you say so, but the rest of the guys at the station will string me up."

Just then I heard, 'Not if he has a tape to show everybody.'

I smiled and told Officer James, "I have you covered on this one." I pressed the dash cam and knew the guys back at Rangeman would start video and audio.

Rafael's POV:

I knew the man talking to momma was a nice man. He looked really familiar too. I knew I'd seen him somewhere. Dad and Uncle Tank got there in no time and then Michaels was really in for it. Nobody messed with my momma, even if they were playing a joke on somebody else and got them to do the deed. When dad got done, Michaels was on his way back to the police station….walking. Dad introduced himself to Officer James and when the Officer peeked in the back to get a look at me I knew where I'd seen him before.

'Momma, this is her daddy.'

Momma looked at him and then asked, "Do you have a daughter of about four?"

Officer James nodded, "Yes. Melanie."

"Do you have a picture of her?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. Momma looked at the picture. I didn't have to see it to know we were right. The Officer looked sad, "Unfortunately, I don't get to see her as much as I like. She lives with her mother."

Momma looked at him and then to dad. "Ranger, give him Mr. Jamison's card please. He's going to need it to get custody of his daughter."

Suddenly Officer James looked a lot scarier, "Why do I need custody of my daughter?"

Momma told him what happened at the doctor's office. Officer James looked away for a moment and then when he turned back there was such a hurt look on his face. I knew it wouldn't be there for long. Mellie was going to like living with her father. I knew she would be a good friend to Lillie and me.

When we finally got to Pino's, momma cut up one of the meatballs from her sub and put it on a plate in front of me. It was gone in no time. I looked over to see if there was anymore….nope. Everything was all gone. Crap!


	15. Rafael's First Day On The Job

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 15: Rafael's First Day On The Job

Rafael's POV:

I woke up a few minutes before momma came into my room to get me up. We were going down to the gym to work out. Momma made sure I had a clean diaper on and then she put black sweat pants and a black t-shirt on me as well as socks and my sneakers. I was ready to get going. We met dad at the door and headed to the elevator. Once we got to the gym, I noticed the guys were busy with their workouts. Momma set me down on my mat and she did some stretches before heading for the track and running. I used my workout mat and was working up a sweat when Manny sat down beside me. I looked up into his face and he smiled at me.

Manny put a hand on the top of my head and asked, "How's it going kiddo?"

I smiled, showing off all four of my teeth. Manny's eyes widened in surprise, "Hey! You have teeth now. Way to go man. Like the threads. That's a real kick ass outfit." Manny stands and then looks down at me, "Gotta go now kid. See you around."

I went back to my work out, doing pushups and then sit-ups. Once I finished that I started doing body rolls, rolling to one side of the mat and then back to the other side of the mat. Once I did that I stood and started walking around the perimeter of the mat. I was just finishing up when momma came over and lifted me into her arms. I knew how much she loved holding me in her arms so figured I was okay with her carrying me back to our apartment. Once we entered the apartment, we headed for the small bathroom between my room and the guest room. Momma got everything ready and stripped me down. She ran some water in the tub and set me in the bathtub. Yes! Now this is taking a bath. Finally!

Momma knelt on the floor outside the tub and I looked up at her smiling. I raised my hand and smacked the water. Water went everywhere and I laughed as momma got doused. I knew she didn't mind because she was laughing too. Momma washed my hair and then she soaped my body, making sure I got really clean. She had just lifted me from the water when dad stepped into the bathroom. He smiled at us and lifted me into his arms. He kissed momma and told her to go ahead and take her shower. Momma kissed me and headed for the master bathroom.

Dad took me into my room and put a diaper on me, then socks, black cargos and a black t-shirt. I was thrilled when he put my black work boots on me. Yes! This was the kick ass outfit I was talking about. I looked up at dad and he had a twinkle in his eyes. I heard him in my mind telling me, 'Proud of you son.'

Dad took me into the kitchen and set me in my highchair. He put my cereal into a bowl with a spoon and set it on my tray. He went back to the kitchen to get me something to drink and I grabbed the spoon and started to eat. I focused on getting the spoon in my mouth…..steady…steady…steady…yum! Man that stuff was good. I was glad momma was in charge of making cereal. She was awesome with the cereal. Dad came back over and stopped suddenly. Then he started laughing. I looked up and raised an eyebrow. What? I was hungry.

I heard momma making her way into the kitchen. She hugged dad and asked, "What's up?"

Dad turned her to face me. Her eyes widened and her eyes twinkled. "Oh my! Was that good little man?"

"Mama…Yum!" I smiled at her.

Momma got such a beautiful smile on her face it made me glow inside. I heard them both at the same time, 'Proud of you son.'

I smiled even wider, "Proud you too."

Momma swooped and I was in her arms. Dad had his arms around us both. Ah! This is what love feels like. After several minutes I was set back in the highchair and dad set a sippy cup with orange juice in it on the tray. I lifted the cup and greedily drank. Yum! I never had this before. Momma and dad sit down to eat and my mouth starts watering as I watch momma eat. Oh man that looks good. Momma looks my way and I can see her eyes laughing even though she's not making a sound except moaning over her food. She cuts up several bites and puts them on a plate, setting them before me. I take my first bite and….oh…yum! I moan in pleasure at the wonderful taste. All of a sudden momma and dad are looking at me with surprised faces. I'm like, what, can't a guy enjoy his food? They both start laughing and after a few minutes we all go back to eating.

Once we are all done and momma has washed me up, dad picks me up and we head to the elevator. I raise an eyebrow wondering what's up. I don't usually go to work with dad. I have once in a while, but not often. Dad whispers to me that momma is going to a spa today. He tells me tomorrow is a special day for momma. It's her first Mother's Day and while I'm with him today we will look for a special gift for her. I smile to let him know I'm on board with that.

Dad gets off the elevator on five and we headed for the monitors. Binkie and Woody are working the monitors and when we stop, neither one turns our way. Smart dudes. I lean forward and narrow my eyes, 'Hey, is that guy really going to pee on that building?'

Dad narrows his eyes and he checks out the monitors. "Woody, call Cal and have him do a drive by on that one."

Woody nodded, "Yo boss."

We moved on, stopping so dad could check on the progress around Rangeman. Finally we headed to his office. I noticed dad added some toys for me. Awesome. He set me down and I headed right for the toys. I checked them all out and was really getting into it when the phone rang. I looked over to dad and watched him answer the phone. He looked serious all of a sudden and after a couple minutes he said, "I'll be there in five." and he hung up the phone.

Dad turned to me and said, "We need to run by the hospital Rafael. Uncle Lester's been shot."

My chest hurt and I stayed quiet as dad picked me up and we headed to the garage. I focused and narrowed my eyes. There was too much chaos at the moment for me to get through. I would have to wait till we were closer. It seemed like it took forever for us to reach the garage and for dad to buckle me in. 'Come on dad, bust a move will ya.'

Suddenly dad's looking at me with narrowed eyes. I turn and meet his eyes and sigh, 'Sorry. I'm just really worried about Uncle Lester. I love him.'

Dad nodded, "I know you're worried son. I am too. We'll be there soon."

Once dad got behind the wheel and we were in motion, it didn't take any time at all before we were at the hospital. Dad got me out of the back and we headed inside. He stopped at the desk and demanded, "Lester Santos."

The lady looked down at the list of patients and told dad, "He's in O.R. 3."

Dad must have known where O.R.3 was because we were on our way. Once again dad stopped and talked to a woman behind a desk. "Lester Santos."

"He's in surgery now. Doctor will be out as soon as it's over."

Dad walked over and we sat down to wait. I tried focusing, but I wasn't sure if I was with Lester or with someone else. I hoped it wasn't Lester I was with because I heard the doctor say, "He's coding…..stat…..call it…..time of death."

I laid my head against dad and snuggled close. I prayed that Uncle Lester would be okay. My only thought was momma, where are you? We need you.

Stephanie's POV:

Lula and I were finishing up at the spa and thinking about what we would have for lunch when I got this strong pull and I felt Rafael call to me, 'momma, where are you? We need you.' I turned to Lula and told her I needed to get to Ranger and Rafael. She nodded and said whatever I needed. A 30 minute drive took us less than 10 and I was pulling into St. Francis. I had no idea why I was here instead of Rangeman, I just knew my family was here. I didn't stop till I got to the waiting room for the O.R.'s. I saw them the minute I got there.

I hurried over and wrapped my arms around both of them. I looked at Ranger and asked the question, "Who?"

"Les."

"No!" I closed my eyes and slipped in to check Rafael. He was so scared. I wrapped myself around him and told him I was there now. He showed me what he heard earlier and why he was so scared. I told him I would find Les. I closed my eyes and focused. It took me several tries, but finally I found him. I listened for several moments and then I smiled and opened my eyes. I turned to Ranger and Rafael. I put a hand on Rafael and told them, "He's going to be okay. They're finishing the surgery now. He's okay."

Rafael lifted his head and looked at me with tear-filled eyes. I lifted him into my arms and closed my eyes so I could show him Les was really okay. Once I showed him Les was really okay, he calmed down and snuggled into me. A few minutes later the doctor came out and asked for the family of Lester Santos. We stood and went to the consult room. The doctor told us that Lester was shot in the chest and the bullet just missed any vital areas. We were told we could see him as soon as he was moved to his room.

Rafael's POV:

I was so relieved when momma showed me Uncle Lester was going to be okay. I had been so scared. Now I was just pissed. Pissed that some skip had the nerve to shoot my Uncle Lester. When we got done talking to the doctor, we headed down to where other guys from Rangeman were sitting and waiting for word on Uncle Lester. My eyes found Uncle Bobby and Uncle Tank. They stood as we headed over. All the guys stood. Dad told them Uncle Lester was going to be okay. Everyone took a sigh of relief.

Ram stepped forward, "Hector has the skip in sight. I'd like to go pick him up."

My eyes narrowed and I looked at Ram. I focused and saw where Hector had the skip. I wanted to shake that guy silly and drag him through the rosebushes so he got all full of thorns. Then I wanted to pound his head on the pavement till he cried uncle and drag his ass to the police station where he would beg them to lock him up and admit to everything he did just to get away from me. I smiled and thought maybe he should experience momma giving him a knee right where it counted. I imagined the look on his face when that happened and thought, 'Oh yeah.'

Dad got a call and he answered it. His eyebrow rose as he listened. Finally he said, "Thanks for the update Hector." He ended the call and said, "Apparently there's no reason to go after him. Hector said he all of a sudden started jerking around, ran through the rose bushes, went out to the street and pounded his head on the pavement, and then nearly passed out as he held his groin area before he jogged to the police station and turned himself in."

My eyes widened and I smiled. Just think, my first day on the job and the skip turned himself in. Oh yeah!


	16. Mother's Day

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 16: Mother's Day

Stephanie's POV:

We stayed at the hospital until we had a chance to see Lester. When we reached the surgical floor nurse's station we were politely told that children weren't allowed. I looked at Ranger and told him to go ahead on in and I could see Les when he got back. He leaned down and gently placed his forehead against mine. We stayed like that for several seconds before he went to head towards Lester's room. Rafael chose that moment to say, "Dada." and held his arms out. Ranger came back and took Rafael in his arms and told me to go ahead. I no more than got started and Rafael held his arms out saying, "Mama." I went back to my baby and took him in my arms. Tears burned the back of my eyes. I turned to Ranger and asked him what were we going to do.

Just then, the nurse that told us children weren't allowed said in a slightly raised voice, "Bonnie, it's time for your break."

The Blonde turned to the nurse in charge and frowned, after a moment she smiled and said, "You're right. Can I get you something?"

"Yes please. A coffee."

No sooner had the nurse Bonnie left then the charge nurse looked at her watch and said, "Dear me, is that the time. I need to take these medicines around. It will take me 20 minutes before I reach room 234."

Once she'd entered a room, I looked at Ranger and smiled, "Looks like we have 20 minutes."

We went into Lester's room and found seats. Rafael held his arms out to Lester and I whispered, "Uncle Lester is hurt honey. He can't hold you."

Lester opened his eyes, "Hey Beautiful." He turned and noticed Ranger. He gave a weak smile and closed his eyes for a minute.

Rafael held out his arms to Lester again and gave a quiet yell. Lester's eyes popped open again and his gaze went to Rafael. "Sorry little dude, didn't mean to forget you."

"Les."

Lester's eyes lit with pleasure. He turned to me, "Bring him over Beautiful. He won't hurt me."

I stood and carried Rafael over to the bed and gently set him down next to Lester. Rafael put his hand on Lester and suddenly he was glowing. The love shining out of Rafael's eyes brought a tear to my eyes. They stayed like that for several seconds and then Rafael laughed. Lester smiled back at him.

When Lester looked our way, he seemed a lot more comfortable and his color had gotten drastically better. I asked how he was feeling and he glanced at Rafael before saying, "I'm good."

After talking a little more, I went over and picked up Rafael. "We have to get going. The nurse let us in against rules because Rafael wanted to come with us to see you."

Lester smiled, "Yeah. So he said." He looked to Ranger, "Since the skip turned himself in do you think Rangeman will get paid for this one?"

Ranger shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

Rafael looked down at the bed. Ranger came over and lifted his chin so their eyes met, "Proud of you son. It doesn't matter if we get paid or not, I wanted him in jail. You did good."

Rafael grinned, "Dada." Rafael brought his little hand up and made a fist before connecting it to Ranger's hand. We all laughed.

I leaned over and kissed Lester on the forehead and then stopped and kissed Ranger on the lips. "I'm going to head back to Rangeman." I turned to Lester, "You need anything give me a call. I'll stop by to see you tomorrow."

"Wait till Monday Beautiful. Tomorrow is your day."

I looked at Lester for several seconds before smiling and nodding, "Since you'll be very busy tomorrow I _will_ wait till Monday. Bye Les. Get better soon."

I slipped out of the room and had just made it back to the nurse's station when the charge nurse came out of the room next to Lester's. She smiled at us and told us to have a good day. I smiled back before turning and heading for the elevator. I knew Rafael was watching the nurse. He had a smile on his face and suddenly I heard a gasp, and a, "Oh! How beautiful. I wonder who they are for…..why…..they're for me! I wonder who?"

We stopped at the E.R. waiting room and I told everyone how Lester was doing. I asked Lula if she wanted to stay with Tank or head back to Rangeman with us. She left Lillie with Tank and quickly ran up to see Lester. She was back inside 5 minutes and then we headed home. Once we got back we were headed up on the elevator when it was stopped on 5. There were several guys waiting there with blank looks on their faces and I knew they were worried about Lester. I smiled and told them Lester was going to be fine. Then, one by one they stepped up and bumped fists with Rafael before heading back to work. Lula and I just looked at each other. I heard a chuckle, and then, 'It's a guy thing momma.' I rolled my eyes and the chuckle turned to laughter.

Lula invited us in and I could see she didn't want to be alone right now. It was times like this that brought home the guys we love had dangerous jobs at times, and right now I think Lula was freaking out at what might have been. Rafael and I went in and stayed till shortly before dinner when Tank and Ranger walked in. Lula ran to Tank and they held each other. I stood and lifted Rafael, telling her I'd catch her later. We joined Ranger and made our way up to 7.

We'd no more than got into the apartment when there were two distinct roars. Rafael and I looked at each other and grinned. We headed to the kitchen and I set Rafael in his highchair and strapped him in. Ranger went to the refrigerator to check and see what Ella had left. He frowned and had just pulled his cell phone out when the elevator dinged indicating someone was here. A couple minutes later Ella was pushing the cart into the kitchen. I took one look at Ella and knew she'd spent the afternoon crying. I looked to Ranger and he gave a barely there nod before going over and enfolding Ella in his arms.

Ella clung to Ranger and spoke softly, "I was so scared."

"He's okay. He's already sitting up telling jokes."

Ella nodded her head and as I watched them, tears burned the backs of my eyes. Ranger hugged Ella and said, "Why don't you take the day off tomorrow and you and Luis can go and see him."

I could see the indecision in Ella's eyes. She was torn between what she felt was her duty and what her heart was telling her she wanted and needed to do. I bit my lip and tried to come up with a way to get her to do what her heart wanted. My eyes landed on Rafael and he had a twinkle in his eyes. I raised an eyebrow and heard him in my mind, 'Why don't we go to grandma Manoso's tomorrow so Ella won't feel bad about taking the day off?'

'She'd still insist on cooking for the guys.'

Rafael grinned, 'Not if dad had Pino's cater for lunch and Rossini's cater for dinner.'

I looked over to where Ella and Ranger were standing only to see Ranger looking at us with narrowed eyes. 'Rossini's yes, Pino's no.'

Rafael grinned and replied, 'Aw dad, come on….be a sport. The guys love Pino's.'

It was all I could do not to burst out laughing. Finally, Ranger rolled his eyes and said, 'Fine. But only so Ella will take the day off.'

Ranger leaned down and spoke to Ella to tell her his plans for the next day. Ella looked up to him and smiled in gratitude before she agreed to take the day off. With that, Ella went back to her apartment to let Luis know they would be seeing Lester the next day. Ranger brought the food cart over and put the dishes on the table. I fixed a plate for Rafael and then worked on fixing my own plate. I reached for Ranger's plate and dished his up as well. I was just getting started on eating when I glanced over to see how Rafael was doing. He was looking at his plate like someone stole the food right out of his mouth. There was no sign food had ever been on the plate it was that clean. I smiled and bit my lip to keep from laughing as I served him another helping of food.

Rafael's POV:

When the nurse said I couldn't go in to see Uncle Lester I got really upset. Dad went to go see him and I held my arms out and said, "Dada." Then when he took me and they decided momma should go first, I held my arms out to her and said, "Mama." I was so happy when the nurse arranged it so momma and dad could sneak me into the room. I worked it so she'd get a pretty bunch of flowers. Momma set me by Uncle Lester and I had to touch him to make sure he was okay. I felt his pain and it was too much for him so I made it go away. He told me he could handle it but I wouldn't hear of it. I let him see what happened to the skip that shot him. I hadn't thought about Rangeman not getting paid if the guy turned himself in. Dad told me it didn't matter and I knew he was being honest with me. He was proud of me and I would do anything to make sure he always stayed proud of me.

When momma and I headed home, Aunt Lula and Lillie came with us. We hung out with them till Uncle Tank and dad got home. Then when Ella came and I saw how upset she was, I knew she needed a day off. I had to laugh at dad's reaction when I suggested Pino's cater lunch. What a dad. Well, that was all set now. I had a sudden thought and I focused real hard till I found grandma Mazur. She was watching the news and I knew what would be coming up. I wanted to make sure I got in first so I turned off the TV and slipped in. 'Lester is going to be okay grandma, but he did get shot today.' I felt her pain and stayed with her a few minutes till she was feeling better. Then I left her.

I looked down at my plate and noticed it was super clean…like there'd never been any food on it in the first place. I looked at my plate and wondered who stole my food. Momma put more food on my plate and I worked on cleaning it up. I got a small piece of pineapple upside down cake for dessert and it was gone in two bites. Hmmm, maybe I can get another piece. I look over to dad and see him looking at me with narrowed eyes. Guess that's a no on the extra cake huh dad? Crap! Dad lifted an eyebrow and I couldn't help the grin that spread on my face.

Not too long after that momma got me ready for bed and sat in the rocking chair nursing me. Although I was a pro at using a Sippy cup during the day, I loved it when momma still let me nurse before I went to bed. I felt my eyes drooping and knew that sleep would soon claim me. I was looking forward to tomorrow.

Stephanie's POV:

I stood and carried Rafael over to his crib and laid him down before covering him up. I bent down to kiss his forehead and told him to sleep well. I padded into the master bedroom to find Ranger standing, looking out the window. I went over and placed my hand on his back. He turned and his eyes darkened with desire. He swooped down and took my mouth with his. He lifted me into his arms and carried me over to the bed and set me down on the floor. Slowly he removed each piece of clothing, taking time to pay homage before moving on to the next item of clothing. I returned the favor piece by piece until we were both naked. I sat down on the bed and scooted back before laying back and letting my legs slide apart so I was open to him. His eyes darkened even more as he studied every aspect of my body. Slowly he lowered himself till he covered my body with his. His mouth and hands were magic on my body and I couldn't get enough of him. When he entered me our souls melded, our minds melded, our bodies melded, and he took me to paradise.

I woke up the next morning as light filtered into the room. I stretched and slid out of bed, going in to shave, shampoo and shower. Once I was dry and dressed in a royal blue, short-sleeved mini dress and 4" FMP's in the same color, I worked gel through my hair and pulled it up onto my head with wisps hanging down. I added makeup and then went to see where Ranger and Rafael were. I found them in the kitchen making breakfast. I stopped at the door and smiled. "What are you two up to?"

Ranger turned to me and smiled, his eyes going dark, "Making you breakfast Babe. Come have a seat."

I went over and sat at the table. Ranger brought Rafael over and set him in the highchair and strapped him in. Rafael was wearing black slacks, black dress shirt, and black shoes. I raised an eyebrow and met Ranger's gaze. He leaned down and kissed me before heading over to the stove to get our plates. He brought mine over and set it before me. There was a Belgian Waffle, strawberries, whipped cream, sausage links, and orange juice. He set a plate in front of Rafael that had a quarter of a waffle, strawberries, sausage, a quarter of a bagel and lox, as well as orange juice in a Sippy. Once Ranger had sat down with his breakfast, we all started eating.

When we had all finished eating, Ranger cleaned everything up and then we headed down to the garage to make the trip to his folks. Ranger took my hand in his as he drove. He told me he'd called Grams to ask her along but she wanted to spend the day with Lester. Ella and Luis were picking her up and taking her to the hospital with them. When we arrived, Ranger came around and helped me out before lifting Rafael out. We headed up to the front door and just as we got there Maria opened up the front door and smiled.

All Ranger's brothers and sisters were there with their families and we all spent a wonderful day with Maria and Carlos. Rafael had a blast with all his cousins, aunts and uncles. For me, watching my son have so much fun was the best Mother's Day gift I could ever have. I was thankful too that Lester was going to be okay. We let everyone know Lester was going to be fine and was already laughing and joking around. I smiled as I watched my husband and my son on this beautiful day.

Maria came and sat beside me. She smiled, "It's the best gift in the world isn't it. To have your family around you on a day like today."

I smiled and nodded, "I love watching them like this. Happy Mother's Day Maria."

"Happy Mother's Day Stephanie."


	17. A Traitor Among Us

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 17: A Traitor Among Us

Ranger's POV:

I looked over the schematic one final time before making a decision to pass on the job. Something about it seemed too good to be true. A knock sounded on the door and I leaned back in my chair, "Enter."

Tank, Bobby and Lester walked into the office and took seats around the room. Tank motioned to the plan on my desk, "What do you think Rangeman?"

I gave a slight tilt of my head before telling them, "I'm passing."

Each man nodded. Seemed like we were all in agreement. Bobby sat forward, "They aren't going to like it."

I gave a slight nod. "I know. That doesn't change my mind."

The door flew open suddenly and I pulled my gun and had it aimed at the door. Tank, Bobby and Lester each had their guns in their hands as well. Lester grimaced in discomfort from the sudden move. I made note to have Bobby check him out to make sure he was healing okay. The figure that walked in the door was not a welcome one and I intended to find out how in the hell he'd gotten in here. My eyes narrowed in anger, my voice was deadly soft, "What are you doing here?"

The man before us smiled, "Why I just walked right in and got on the elevator. Unfortunately this as far as I could get on the elevator. Steele is headed up the stairs. I'm sure he'll get farther."

"I didn't ask how you got here. I asked _what_ you were doing here."

"We're here to make sure you accept the contract." He motioned to the plans on my desk.

"Not going to happen."

The man before me smiled and pulled out his cell phone. He put it on speaker so we could hear what was being said, "Hello." Steele's voice came over the phone.

"Manoso needs persuasion."

"I'm outside the penthouse apartment now." There was a knock.

Temple looked at me to get my reaction. I had my blank face firmly in place and all four of us raised our guns to aim at his head. He stilled for a moment and then said, "Make it painful Steele."

I narrowed my eyes and sent a message, 'Babe, Steele's outside the door. He plans to hurt you and Rafael.' Suddenly I felt a warmth envelope me. I looked at Temple and smiled. Temple looked puzzled.

Another knock sounded, and then we could hear Steele pounding on the apartment door. I glanced at Lester and he nodded. When the sound of Steele trying to kick the door down could be heard Temple turned slightly and I was on him in seconds. He was down before he could blink and I left Lester to cover him as Tank, Bobby and I headed at a dead run for the stairwell. Several heads were up waiting for information. All I had to say was, "Intruder."

The alarm sounded and men were scrambling to get where they needed to be. I was in the lead going up the stairs and Cal was in the lead going down the stairs. Binkie and Woody were in charge of the elevator. Going up we encountered no less than a dozen intruders. Each one went down the stairwell the hard way. When we reached the 6th floor; Hector, Ram, Vince and Hal stepped out onto 6 and made their way through the floor checking for intruders. When we reached 7; Tank, Bobby and I went onto the floor loaded for bear. There were 8 men outside my apartment trying to get in. They were running up against an invisible wall. When they saw us they tried to run but we had them in no time. I wanted answers and I intended to get them. I turned to tell Chance we were heading down to interrogation and he pointed a glock at my head. Suddenly, he dropped the gun and the air around him started to squeeze the hand, crushing it. I felt the air exploding with electricity and lightening flashed down and struck him. His eyes widened in surprise and he fell down onto the floor, face down. I felt a probing and then a gentle touch making sure I was unhurt. I took the time to let him know I was okay. Then I smiled at him and told him, 'Proud of you son. Take care of your mom till I get back. No one gets in.'

I knew he would follow my directions.

When we rounded up all the bodies, there were 25 men in all. Only the 8 from the 7th floor were still alive. I stepped up to Steele and spoke in a deadly soft voice, "You have one chance. Tell me everything I want to know."

"All that will get me is dead."

I felt the monster banging at the walls inside and decided I would let him out. I looked at Steele with narrowed eyes, letting him get a good look at the beast. "You'll die if you don't talk. But I'll have some fun first."

Steele's eyes widened with terror. Here he was supposed to be the go to person to strike terror into others and he was acting like a pansy. I took a hold of the neck of his collar and Steele started talking, "It's the Columbian's. They wanted to strike back for all the time and money you cost them when that went down at the compound over 18 months ago."

"Anyone else on the inside?"

"Just Chance. He didn't want to do it."

I shrugged. It didn't matter. He acted against us and he would pay for that. The why of it made no difference to me. "What was the plan?"

"Temple was supposed to get you to agree to the plan, and to take part. Once you were there you would be captured and they would take their revenge."

"My family?"

Steele smiled, "I was promised your wife. The kid would go to any family willing to buy a baby."

The monster roared and I let him act. Stepping forward, he acted swift and without regard.

Once the cleanup had been completed, I headed up to 7 to shower and change. When I entered the apartment, Babe and Rafael were there to make sure I was okay. I let Rafael know I was proud of him and I let them both know I loved them. I felt their love wrap around me and warm my soul. I headed into the shower and when I came back out once I had dressed, I told them Chance had been working with them.

Babe nodded, "Are they all dead?"

"Yes. The trash is being taken out as we speak."

Babe nodded.

_Originally I only planned on 18 chapters, but the characters are demanding more story time. Still to go; Father's Day, 4__th__ of July, and Rafael's 1__st__ Birthday._


	18. Memorial Day

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

_Special thanks to Barb4psu for reminding me of Memorial Day. _

Chapter 18: Memorial Day

Dad has been very quiet the past week. Ever since Chance betrayed dad's trust and let those bad men in. It had an effect on all the guys. I knew the rest of the guys were loyal because I peeked. No one was the wiser, but I felt all icky about sneaking in and looking without them knowing. Dad and momma knew I did it and it made them feel sad. Oh, they weren't sad I did it, but sad because my belief in trust had been broken and I felt the need to do it. I was glad the guys I loved the most were still the good guys.

We were spending more time down on 5 right now because momma was helping dad with the strategy for dealing with the Columbians. Right now we were in dad's office and he had the plans on his desk. I was looking at them. There was something going on there. Something they didn't want anyone to know about. Some kind of strike. I narrowed my eyes and focused. Suddenly I had it all. I turned and looked around for dad. I didn't see him but I knew he was close so I slipped in, 'Dad, I gotta tell you about the strike and the hostages.'

Suddenly dad was in his office and lifting me into his arms. "What did you see?"

I reached out with my hand and placed it on dad's forehead. There was so much information that I knew this was the only way to show him everything. When I'd finished, he hugged me close and said, "Proud of you son."

Momma walked into the office at that moment and said, "Something feels off about this."

Dad told her what I'd found out. Her eyes lit, "That's it. It's also why Chance sold us out. Ranger, his brother is being held by the Columbians."

"That doesn't excuse his actions Babe."

"I know. But I do understand them. If you were being held…"

Momma didn't have to finish. Dad knew what she was saying and so did I. If someone was holding momma and dad…let's just say I would crush them….bit…by….bit….till they were nothing but broken bones. I thought for a minute and then had an idea.

'Dad, what happened to the intruders?'

Dad's gaze met mine, 'What are you thinking?'

I put my hand on his forehead and showed him. He smiled and said, "Proud of you son."

Dad went over to the desk and made a call. Momma and I smiled, knowing just what he planned to do. Momma leaned down and whispered; "Now we just need to set up the coming home party. Come on little man. We need to make a call."

Ranger's POV:

I'd made the arrangements. I smiled, thinking of the surprise the embassy officials were going to have. There'd be no explaining it away. With all the others dead and their deathbed confessions in our hands, they had no out. When Babe told me she'd been asked to sing at the National Memorial Day Ceremony I knew she'd do it. For one, to support our troops past and present. Two, because it gave us the ticket we needed into the Ceremony.

The day started out like any other. The three of us worked out and once we'd eaten, we showered and dressed for the day. I wore my SWAT black uniform and Rafael had a matching outfit. Babe wore a floor length dress that tied on one shoulder leaving the other bare. The dress was slit on one side from mid-thigh to the floor and was one-third red, one-third white, and one-third blue, and she wore 4" clear FMP's. Her hair was beautiful left down around her face and shoulders. We made our way up to the roof and the helicopter picked us up. Tank, Bobby, and Lester rode with us as well as Cal. In no time we were setting down outside the site of the National Ceremony. I carried Rafael in one arm and the other was wrapped around Babe. When we made it to the platform where we were to sit during the ceremony. We took our seats and soon we were joined by the rest of the President's Party.

We stood when the President was introduced. We listened as the President gave his speech and the other performers did their songs. Finally, it was time. We had planned it beautifully. I glanced at Babe and our gazes locked. We were ready.

The President stepped forward, "Ladies and gentleman, we have a real treat for you today. Stephanie Manoso has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever been fortunate to hear. The whole nation saw the footage of her singing God Bless The USA in the Trenton, New Jersey's Veteran's Day Parade. She has agreed to honor us with a song here today." The President turned to Babe and held out a hand, "Mrs. Manoso…"

Babe stood and lifted the microphone she'd been given to use. In her clear, beautiful voice she sang:

_Fighting soldiers from the sky  
Fearless men who jump and die  
Men who mean just what they say  
The brave men of the Green Beret_

The sound of helicopters approaching could be faintly heard.

_Silver wings upon their chest_  
_These are men, America's best_  
_One hundred men we'll test today_  
_But only three win the Green Beret_

The sound got louder.

_Trained to live, off nature's land_  
_Trained in combat, hand to hand_  
_Men who fight by night and day_  
_Courage deep, from the Green Beret_

By this time, the shape of the helicopters could be made out.

_Silver wings upon their chest_  
_These are men, America's best_  
_One hundred men we'll test today_  
_But only three win the Green Beret_

The helicopters were coming in. Men were on the move, taking up position around the President. Although the sounds of their approach was louder, Babe could still be heard over the noise.

_Back at home a young wife waits_  
_Her Green Beret has met his fate_  
_He has died for those oppressed_  
_Leaving her this last request_

The helicopters were setting down. Special Forces teams were taking up a stance surrounding the helicopters.

_Put silver wings on my son's chest_  
_Make him one of America's best_  
_He'll be a man they'll test one day_  
_Have him win the Green Beret_

The doors opened and the armed men around the helicopter and those around the President lowered their weapons and stood at attention. Men from inside the helicopter started jumping out and those who weren't hurt or still able turned to help the wounded. Soon, all 35 men were standing outside the helicopters. The President's eyes narrowed and he asked, "What's the meaning of this?"

I stood, Rafael high in my arms, "This sir is why Rangeman refused the job in Columbia. They were holding these men as leverage and planned to kill every last one of them as well as me and my team."

The President turned to the Columbian officials and motioned to the security detail. "Arrest these men." The President turned and held out his hand to me. "Thank you. I take it we have to thank you for these men being rescued."

I nodded.

Rafael's POV:

It was cool watching those helicopters coming in as momma sang that song. I have the coolest parents in the world. I watched as the President shook dad's hand and the Columbians were taken away. I focused and knew we'd never have to worry about them again. The President was going to make an example of those dudes. They were going to Gitmo and wouldn't last the week out. The other prisoners were going to do them in. What a Memorial Day.

_Now there are only 3 more chapters._

_Ballad Of The Green Berets_

_Written by SSgt Barry Sadler_


	19. Father's Day

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 19: Father's Day

Rafael's POV:

I woke up and sat up in my bed. I looked around and frowned, wondering why momma or dad hadn't been in to get me yet. Hope they are okay. I narrowed my eyes and took a look, smiling when I saw they were both still sleeping in their big bed. I laughed as momma told me to mind my manners and stop peeking. I let her know I love her before slipping out. I climbed out of my bed and made my way over to my toys. I found a blank piece of paper and some crayons and worked on putting my ideas down on paper. I took a look at the finished product and frowned. I guess it could pass, but it was nowhere near what I'd pictured. I padded out to the kitchen and climbed onto dad's chair. I set the paper down in his spot before heading back into my room. I went through my dresser to find the right outfit….no…..no…..no…..sigh. Momma! Momma! I waited for a couple minutes but when no one magically appeared at the door I went back to searching. Guess this was one of those times when she wanted me to solve my own problem. Okay, I could do that shit. Let's see, how about…no…no…no…where the fuck is all my good shit?

'Rafael Ricardo Manoso!'

Uh Oh! I winced and replied, 'Sorry momma.'

I saw the laundry basket in my mind and knew where all my good stuff was. I sighed. The dirty clothes, sh…ucks. I saw the smile and knew momma approved of my attempt to clean up my language. I turned back to my dresser and suddenly heard the elevator ding, indicating someone was here. Ella! I raced to the front door as fast as I could to see if she had any of my clothes with her.

"Well hello Rafael. What a lovely surprise."

I smile at her and try not to be too obvious about looking to see what she's brought. I spot the clean laundry basket and my eyes light up when I notice one of my favorite outfits on the top of the basket. Suddenly I hear laughter and look up into Ella's warm brown eyes. Uh oh, busted! Ella lifted the basket and said, "Come along Mijo. We'll get you all cleaned up for your momma."

I followed Ella into the bathroom and helped her get me out of my jammas and diaper. She ran a bath for me and helped me in. I had a blast getting clean. I never realized Ella could be so much fun. Once I was clean, I reluctantly let Ella get me out of the tub and dry me off. I looked longingly at the tub, not wanting to give up my fun. Ella kissed the top of my head and said, "There will be more bath time for you another day Mijo."

Ella wrapped me in the towel and carried me into my room. She set me on the changing table and put a clean diaper on me. I made a face. I was getting kinda tired of having those things on my private area. I couldn't wait for the day when I could go without like dad. I smile when Ella pulls my favorite outfit out of the basket. When I'm dressed I'm in SWAT black and I look ready to kick some ass. I look around to see if momma heard. Whoo. Close one.

I follow Ella out into the kitchen and she lifts me up into my chair. She gets a plate and cuts up a piece of French toast and strawberries, and then added some whipped topping to it. She sets the plate before me and I get started. She'd put some lox on a bagel and cut it into bite sized pieces and set that on my plate as well. I wrinkled my nose and she laughed. "If you want any more of the good stuff Mijo, you need to eat the other as well."

I rolled my eyes and thought about it, but my stomach roaring told me it wouldn't be happy if I didn't put more in it. I bit the bullet and ate the crap so I could get more of what I wanted. When I was taking the last drink of orange juice, I was starting to wonder what was keeping momma and dad. I heard a faint moan and grimaced. TMI there momma. They needed to work on sound proofing their bedroom. Ella washed me up and then hesitated. She was worried about leaving me alone since momma and dad hadn't surfaced yet. I reached up and took her hand. She followed me into my room and we got down on the floor and started playing with the toys. We were having lots of fun, who would have guessed Ella could make such cool train sounds? Suddenly I felt a presence and turned to the door. Momma was standing there with dad standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her.

Ella looked up at them and smiled, "I've had the most wonderful time."

Momma smiled, "Thank you Ella. I hope you don't mind us taking advantage of you being here?"

"Not at all dear. I love to watch Rafael, anytime." Then she turned to dad, "Happy Father's Day."

"Thank you Ella."

I stood and reached out my hand to Ella. She smiled and took it and I helped her up. We headed out to the kitchen and dad stopped at his seat and lifted the paper I put there. I turned away so if he didn't like it there wouldn't be any awkward moments. Dad's voice was slightly husky as he said, "This is beautiful son. Thank you." Dad went over and taped the picture on the fridge. I gave a shrug. He lifted me and made it so our gazes met, "I am so proud of you son. The picture is perfect. I love it."

Looking in his eyes, I got the feeling he was talking about more than the picture….like he was talking about me. Like he thought I was beautiful and perfect, and he loved me as well as being proud of me. I gave a tiny nod and thought, 'Right back at ya dad.' Out loud I said, "Dad." I leaned down and kissed his cheek.

We had a great day. After momma and dad ate their breakfast, we got in the car and headed to Atlantic City. We spent a good portion of the day on The Boardwalk. We went on rides and dad bought us treats. We were all smiling and at one point of the day dad even danced with momma and me. We were near one of the outdoor cafes and there was music playing. Dad wrapped his arms around us and started dancing. Momma followed his moves beautifully and I noticed everyone stopped to watch them, smiles on all their faces as Under The Boardwalk by The Drifters played.

_Oh, when the sun beats down  
And burns the tar up on the roof  
And your shoes get so hot  
You wish your tired feet were fireproof  
Under the boardwalk  
Down by the sea, yeah  
On a blanket with my baby  
Is where I'll be_

_(Under the boardwalk) Out of the sun_  
_(Under the boardwalk) We'll be having some fun_  
_(Under the boardwalk) People walking above_  
_(Under the boardwalk) We'll be falling in love_  
_(Under the boardwalk, boardwalk_)

_In the park you hear_  
_The happy sound of the carousel_  
_You can almost taste the hot dogs_  
_French fries they sell_  
_Under the boardwalk_  
_Down by the sea, yeah_  
_On a blanket with my baby_  
_Is where I'll be_

_(Under the boardwalk) Out of the sun_  
_(Under the boardwalk) We'll be having some fun_  
_(Under the boardwalk) People walking above_  
_(Under the boardwalk) We'll be falling in love_  
_(Under the boardwalk, boardwalk)_

_[Instrumental Interlude]_

_Oh, under the boardwalk_  
_Down by the sea_  
_On a blanket with my baby_  
_Is where I'll be_

_(Under the boardwalk) Out of the sun_  
_(Under the boardwalk) We'll be having some fun_  
_(Under the boardwalk) People walking above_  
_(Under the boardwalk) We'll be falling in love_  
_(Under the boardwalk, boardwalk)_

When the music ended dad tilted momma and me and gave momma a WOWZA kiss! It was an awesome day. By the time we got home, I was so tired my eyes were already closed. I decided not to make the effort to open my eyes as momma got me ready for bed, and when she laid me down on my bed I was asleep in seconds. My last thought as sleep claimed me, 'Happy Father's Day dad, love you.'

I heard him reply, 'Thank you son. Love you too. Sleep well.'


	20. Fourth Of July

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

Chapter 20: Fourth of July

Stephanie's POV:

We arrived at Waterfront Park at 10 a.m. The Trenton Thunder had a baseball game here today at 11 a.m. and Ranger and I had brought Rafael to his first baseball game slash 4th of July celebration. Ranger and Rafael were in their usual SWAT black and I was in cut off blue jean shorts, yellow tank top and sandals. Ranger carried Rafael in one arm and had his arm wrapped around my waist. I always loved coming out to the park on the 4th and taking in a game before heading over to the other side for the carnival rides, concert, and fireworks. I'd gotten a call a few days ago from the owner of the Thunder. I tried to wiggle out of it, but then when he told me why he needed me, I caved and agreed.

When we got to the gate, the owner himself was there. He smiled and led us into the park. Ranger lifted his eyebrow as I hadn't yet told him what was happening. I smiled and winked at him. He laughed and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. We were shown to the clubhouse and relaxed until the team went out to the field. We joined them in the dugout. As we waited for the field to be prepped and the pre-game activities to start, I made good use of the available time and enjoyed some food from various vendors around the park.

When it was game time, the owner went out onto the field. "Welcome to all of you and thank you for coming out. We took in a record total for today's game. I'd like to thank all of you for that. We are donating the proceeds for the day to Veteran's Memorial Park to erect a memorial to all those men and women who have given their lives for their fellow man. I made a call a few days ago when I knew this is what we intended to do with today's proceeds. I asked the person to design something for us and asked if they could have it ready for today. She never disappoints." He took the tarp off the sketched design and there were gasps, oohs and ahhhs. "I would like you all to meet the artist. She will also be singing our National Anthem as well as a song that has come to have special meaning in our hearts. Ladies and gentlemen…Stephanie Manoso."

The roaring of the applause made me feel funny. Ranger just smiled, kissed me gently and said, "Proud of you Babe."

Rafael grinned and winked.

I walked onto the field and accepted the outstretched hand. He handed me the microphone and I took it. I sang the National Anthem, looking towards the flag, with my right hand over my heart. Once the last note had been sung, I went into the first note of the next song. I was stunned at the enormous applause as I started the song, God Bless The USA. I had no more than gotten out;

_If tomorrow all the things were gone,  
I'd worked for all my life.  
And I had to start again,  
with just my children and my wife._

when another voice joined mine. I turned, stunned to see the man who had made the song famous walking towards me. He smiled and nodded to me as we continued through to the end of the song.

When we finished the song, he turned to me and said, "Thank you Mrs. Manoso for allowing me the honor of singing with you."

I shook my head and replied, "I'm the one who is honored."

The Thunder owner handed me a baseball and asked, "Would you throw out the first pitch?"

I accepted the baseball and turned to home plate where the Thunder catcher was waiting for me to throw. I took a deep breath and threw the ball. It flew across the plate in the strike zone at 103 mph. There were gasps around the park as the guy in the announcers booth read off that information. The Thunder's owner laughed and shook his head before asking me, "Do you need a job Mrs. Manoso?"

I laughed, "No thank you. I like the job I have already."

I headed back to the dugout to rejoin Ranger and Rafael.

Ranger's POV:

I smiled as Rafael and I watched Babe. You never disappoint Babe. When she re-joined us in the dugout, I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her. "Love you Babe."

"I love you too."

The game was a good one. The Thunder one by 5 runs, but I'm not sure 4 of those runs should count. After all, Rafael was looking at that bat with a great deal of focus and the way his face lit up when the ball went over the fence…well, I wouldn't put it past him.

I watched as Babe ate food from the different vendors around the park. I just smiled and let her enjoy herself. I laughed silently as I noticed the way the guys on the team were looking at her like they couldn't believe what they were seeing. After all, Babe is a knockout with a body that stops traffic. How she could stay looking like that and eat the way she does is beyond me. I just accept it's true. Then there's the effect Babe has on the male of the species every time she puts food in her mouth. Hell, there were times my men were calling uncle when watching her eat, it didn't surprise me these guys were having difficulty. Of course Babe was sharing with Rafael, and that led to the question of how a nearly 1 year old baby could eat the stuff he was eating, or the quantity.

When the game ended we headed to the other side of the park and hit the rides. I loved the look on Babe and Rafael's faces as we rode the various rides they would allow Rafael on. Every time there was a ride that had age restrictions, he would get that narrow eyed look and before we left the ride, the operator would have to call for a mechanic. We hit every food booth in sight. I settled for semi-nutritious food since there wasn't a chance in hell of getting my usual.

When it was time for the concert, we made our way to where the rest of the Rangeman group already had blankets down on the ground. We spread our blanket and took our seats. We had a good view of the group on stage and a great view of the coming attraction. The band was decent and they put on a good show. When the fireworks started, the look on Rafael's face was priceless. His eyes glowed with pleasure as he watched and that in turn made our eyes glow with pleasure.

Rafael's POV:

I loved watching the exploding lights. This was awesome. I had quite a day. I knew dad suspected my having a hand in that homerun earlier today. What can I say? The only down side to the whole day was some of the rides had age restrictions. That's okay; they wouldn't be making _their _quota today. I made sure they'd be off-line for a while. The food was fantastic! I couldn't get enough of it. The concert was okay, but seriously, momma would have done a much better job singing. They did put lots of effort into the show though. But the topper to the whole day was the exploding lights we were watching now.

I felt the anxiety and fear. I looked around to see what could be causing it and noticed a huge box of something near the water. There were a couple of children over there and one of them had a book of matches. Then suddenly someone was screaming the box was on fire. Dad tensed as if he was going to go over and help, but I made him and all the guys stay put. It wasn't safe over there and I didn't want them to distract me from what I had to do. I reached out for momma's hand because even though I knew what was needed, I didn't know if I had the strong focus that was needed. Momma took my hand and she closed her eyes. I nodded, she understood. I narrowed my eyes and electricity exploded through the air. I slowed my breathing and pictured what I wanted in my head. Suddenly the box was exploding in all directions and people were screaming. They didn't realize yet that all the explosions were confined to the bubble around the box.

By now the fire department was there and they had a hose spraying water at the box. The water was hitting the outside of the bubble and having no effect to what was happening inside. When the fireworks had burnt themselves out and no longer posed a danger, I slowly shrunk the bubble till it no longer existed. The firemen were able to wet the area down and clear the debris. When I released dad and the guys, dad turned to me and narrowed his eyes. I looked away and tried to make him understand. He sat there listening in his mind to what I was trying to say, finally I heard, 'Next time trust me to help. Proud of you son.' His eyes took in momma and me and he asked, "You two okay?"

Momma smiled and said, "I'm fine."

I grinned and said, "Okay dad."

I was glad when the night finally ended and we headed home. That was one hell of a 4th of July.

'Rafael, what have I told you about your language?'

Oops. 'Sorry momma.'


	21. Rafael's First Birthday

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence**

This story is definitely AU. The characters have the same physical appearance as in J.E.'s books; however I have changed ages of some characters. This is a Babe HEA and Cupcake fans may not be happy as Joe is now dead and so are Frank and Helen Plum. They were killed off in the original story. References may be made to any of the books in the series so if you haven't read them all, you may want to wait to read this. That said...

**Warning: **_Violence_

Chapter 21: Rafael's 1st Birthday.

Rafael's POV:

I woke up and climbed out of bed. I wasn't sure what momma and dad had planned for the day, but it was time to get this dog and pony show on the road. I was up and there was no reason they couldn't get up too. After all, when momma put me to bed last night she said tomorrow was going to be a special day for me. I padded into their bedroom and climbed up onto the bed. 'Yo! You guys up yet? Let's get a move on.'

Dad opened one eye and narrowed it as he looked in my direction. I smile and give him my cute look but he's not buying it. Damn! Uh oh. Momma's eyes are open now and she has an eyebrow raised. I give her a finger wave and grin, 'Gee momma, I don't know how that one slipped out.'

Momma mumbles, "What time is it?"

Dad checks the clock, "3:30 a.m."

Momma groaned, "Rafael, it's too early. You need to go back to sleep."

'_Sleep_! No way Jose. I'm up.'

"It's alright Babe. I'll get him. You go back to sleep for a while."

Dad threw back the covers and stood. My eyes widened. 'Whoa! Uh dad, why are you saluting with the pee machine?'

Momma started laughing so hard I thought she was gonna pee the bed. I gave her a look like maybe she was losing it and then dad starts laughing. _ O_…_kay_… I shake my head as dad lifts me into his arms. He carries me back into my bedroom and grabs a few things and then he carries me back into his room. I frown, 'Uh, dad? You lost or something?'

Dad just chuckles and carries me into the big bathroom. Man! I've never been in here before. This place is pretty cool. Dad strips me down and we step into the shower. I laugh as the water falls over us. Oh man, _this_ is cool! Dad adjusts the water and soaps me up and then sets me down while he soaps up, then he lifts me and starts the water cascading over us again. I love this. All too soon we step out of the shower and dad dries us both off. We head to the dressing room and he puts a diaper on me and then he dresses me before getting dressed himself.

When we head out, momma is surfacing from sleep. Dad stops and kisses her, telling her to take her time. Hmmm, 'Hey dad? Aren't we going to work out today?"

'Not today son. It's your day; we are going to have fun today.'

I frowned, 'Workouts are fun.'

I felt momma join our conversation from the bedroom, 'Just don't say a word.'

'Uh, dad? Is momma mad?'

Dad was smiling ear to ear, 'No son. It's like the clothes. Momma gets you cool clothes but you'd rather wear black. Well, momma thought you would enjoy sleeping in today and going to the zoo or Adventure Aquarium.'

I tilted my head to the side and grinned, 'Sure, that's all good. Which one do you think momma would like to do more?'

Dad lifted me so I was looking him in the eyes. I smiled and dad returned the smile with one of his own. 'She would want you to have the day you want.'

'I will. I want her to have fun.'

Dad lowered me and hugged me, 'Proud of you son.'

When we went back out to the bedroom, momma was sitting up on the bed and her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. I frowned, 'Momma?'

She smiled, 'I'm okay. I am very touched you would give up your day for me. But I want you to have the day you want to have, so let me get a shower and get dressed and we'll get started.'

I leaned out of dad's arms and momma took me in her arms. I leaned in and kissed her cheek. Momma kissed my forehead and then dad lifted me into his arms and we headed into the kitchen to wait for momma.

Stephanie's POV:

I headed into the bathroom and shaved, shampooed and showered before drying off and dressing. Once I was dressed I worked gel into my hair and went to pull it back into a ponytail but heard a little voice in my head ask, 'Momma? Can it stay down?'

I smiled and left it down around my shoulders. When I went out to join the guys in the kitchen, I was hoping I was dressed right for the day. I joined them at the table and dug into the food on my plate. Looked like Rafael and I were having his favorite breakfast, Belgian waffles, strawberries, whipped topping, bacon, and orange juice. Ranger was eating his usual lox and bagel. When we had finished our breakfast, I looked over to Rafael and asked, "So, what are we going to do today?"

He looked at me for several seconds and the suddenly he smiled and said, "Get skip."

My eyes widened in surprise. I turned to Ranger and lifted an eyebrow only to see he was just as surprised as I was. I turned back to Rafael and asked him, "That's really what you want to do?"

He grinned and said, "Yup!"

I looked back at Ranger, "Do you have anyone?"

Ranger thought for a minute, "Maybe…if we take some of the guys with us."

Ranger's POV:

I wanted my men there if I was taking Babe and Rafael near this skip. He was an elusive SOB and we only had a short window of time left to catch him. I took out my phone and told Tank, Bobby and Lester to meet us in the garage. We cleaned up and headed down to the garage. When we walked out of the elevator, the guy's eyes opened wide in surprise.

Tank made a slight motion with his head, "What's going on?"

I smiled, "Rafael wants to catch a skip for his birthday. Since we only have the one still outstanding, I wanted extra backup."

They were all nodding their agreement. We got in the vehicles and headed out. When we pulled up outside the skips home Babe spoke up, "He's not here. Go to the 5th address in the file."

I took out my phone and relayed the information to the guys. When we pulled up this time, Babe turned and asked Rafael, "What's the plan?"

Rafael's eyes were glowing with excitement. 'Dad and Tank in the back and we'll go in the front. Bobby and Lester can cover the 2nd floor windows on the sides.'

I didn't like that arrangement because it left Rafael and Babe vulnerable. 'It's okay dad. I won't let anything happen to momma. Please? Trust me.'

I closed my eyes and took several seconds before I agreed to the plan. I slipped out of the Cayenne and went over to tell the guys the plan. At first they weren't any happier about it than I had been. Once I told them Rafael would protect Babe, they nodded and we got started. Tank and I went to the back and Lester and Bobby got in position. I narrowed my eyes and let Babe and Rafael know through our link that we were ready.

I heard the knock on the front door and a woman answered the door. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Donald Paris."

There was a pause and then, "Are you his wife?"

"No! I work for his bond agent."

There was masculine laughter, a slap, and then, "You bring your kid to work with you? Lady, you are one dumb bitch."

There was the sound of a gun cocking. Tank had the back door open and we were on our way inside. We moved at a dead run to get to the scene at the front door. The woman who had apparently opened the front door was on the floor holding her cheek. Donald turned and seeing us, he reached out to grab hold of Babe. His hand hit an invisible wall and he frowned.

Donald sneered, "So you have to send a girl and a kid to do your job for you huh? Well I'll just use this here gun and shoot them both."

Rafael's POV:

My eyes narrowed. I understood why dad didn't like the idea of momma being around this asshole. He hit the pretty lady on the ground. We'd have to make sure she got together with Aunt Lula so she could help her find her own way. I turned back to the skip and my eyes focused on the gun. Momma's hair started to blow in the breeze. I could see her gaze was focused on the skip as well. I could feel her anger and it fueled my own. This slime bucket wanted to hurt my momma and I intended to show him just how wrong that thought was.

He screamed and dropped the red hot gun. I smiled, but he must not have liked the smile because he was looking at me with stark terror in his eyes. My eyes gleamed with the rage inside. I harvested the air from one side and swung it at him with all my might. There was a sickening thud and he went down. I thought of all the people he had hurt, and how he hurt them, then I thought of the fact he was gonna hurt my momma and I acted. I could feel momma's rage helping me. I knew her rage was because the man had threatened me. That's right momma, we'll get him…together. The girl lying on the floor was watching and I knew she liked what was happening to the man. She didn't want to be with him. She hated what he did to her. I turned my focus back to him and let him feel the pain he gave to her…only magnified by 10. The screams were deafening till finally he passed out from the pain.

Dad stepped forward when we got done and lifted the skip up on his feet and cuffed him. He handed him off to the guys and told them to take him in. We left the house having given the girl a card with Aunt Lula's number. She was a counselor who worked with young girls who had been runaways or in bad relationships. She was really good at her job too. Momma said it was because of her former life.

Once we got in the Cayenne, momma turned and asked, "What's next up?"

I thought for a minute and then said, "Pino's"

Momma laughed, "Pino's isn't open yet. Somebody wanted to get up super early."

I frowned, wonder who she's talking about. Okay, let's see…hmmm…..my eyes lit up, "Tasty Pastry!"

Dad groaned from the driver's seat but momma grinned ear-to-ear. Two against one dad, deal. Uh oh! I smile weakly and send him a finger wave. He rolled his eyes! Dad rolled his eyes! Crap! I need to start keeping things to myself, he looks pissed again. Yikes! Now momma is frowning. I think I better sit back and relax for a bit. Stop thinking, you know what I mean.

Stephanie's POV:

I had to bite the inside of my cheek so I didn't burst out laughing at Rafael's thoughts. One of these days I'd have to start teaching him about building the wall. Right now it was easy enough for me to protect him by extending my wall for him, but since I was going to start helping Vinnie out 2 days a week, I needed to make sure Rafael could shore his own wall. I'd done a lot of thinking before deciding to go back to working at the bonds office. We didn't need the money, and I was already working from home 2 hours a day 3 days a week helping to develop training videos and games, but I just felt like it was time to do something more.

For the past month I'd maintained a rigid exercise routine, wanting to make sure I was in top form when I went back to Bounty Hunting. If I had any doubts, this morning settled them. I enjoyed the take down, even though I wanted to knock that man senseless when he talked about shooting my son. Even now I wanted to smash his face into a brick wall.

Ranger pulled into the Tasty Pastry and we all got out and headed into the store. I closed my eyes and took a huge inhale of air. The smell was so powerful my mouth was instantly watering for it's first bite of a Boston Cream. We stopped at the counter and Ranger told us to get what we wanted. I chose 3 Boston Creams, 2 jelly doughnuts, 2 long johns with caramel frosting and nuts on top and whipped topping inside, and then I let Rafael choose the other 5. He chose one of each of the same ones I did plus one that looked like a pretzel with glazed topping and an apple fritter. I turned and asked Ranger if he wanted to choose something. He just shook his head and said he was good. I ordered 2 orange juices and we took the box of doughnuts and found a seat where we could enjoy our treat. Thirty minutes later every single doughnut was gone and Rafael and I were taking our last sip of our juice.

I glanced at my watch before looking at Rafael and asking him what else he wanted to do for his birthday. He looked over at Ranger and suddenly smiled. "Workout."

I groaned as Ranger laughed. We disposed of our garbage and headed back to Rangeman. We headed up to 7 and changed into our workout gear. When we entered the gym, several of the guys were already there working out. We went through our normal workout routines and then headed back upstairs. Ranger volunteered to give Rafael his bath while I showered and then he would shower. Once we were all dressed it was lunchtime. I joined Ranger and Rafael and knew by the look on Ranger's face what our next stop was going to be. I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Pino's?"

Rafael laughed, "Yup!"

When we got down to the garage I went to get in the passenger seat and Rafael said, "No. Momma drive."

I stopped and looked over to Ranger to see his reaction. He looked pained but made no comment, just placed the keys in my hand. I slipped into the driver's seat and once Ranger joined me in the front, I started the Cayenne and we got under way. We no more than pulled out into traffic and I felt the menace behind us. I felt Rafael slip in, 'Momma, bad men. You had to drive. Columbians.'

Ranger turned and our gazes met. He reached over and pressed the panic button. I focused on what was in front of us. Rafael started giving me directions and I pressed the gas pedal to the floor. I had a sense of déjà vu taking me back to the time I'd gotten those girls out of the circle on Comstock Street. Suddenly I remembered reading about construction in the paper. That's what they were doing. They were forcing us to the construction site so they could stop us. I saw the scene as we barreled towards the construction site. I told Ranger to hold on and sent a shield to Rafael, making sure it would hold him in place. I ran the driver's side of the Cayenne up onto the ramp and twisted the wheel to put us up in the air as we barreled through the site. Once we were clear I twisted the wheel and we came back down onto all 4 wheels. I spun the vehicle so we were facing back the way we came. The vehicles chasing us all came to a screeching stop and the occupants opened their doors and took aim on us. Over a dozen black SUV's came to a stop behind them and in no time they found themselves surrounded.

Rafael smiled, 'Hey dad, did you arrange this?'

Ranger raised an eyebrow, 'No son.' He turned to me and said, "Stay here with Rafael Babe. I'll be back in a minute."

"I don't think so."

"Babe…"

'Not gonna happen dad. We go with. They need a lesson so they stop now.'

My eyes opened wide in shock and I turned to see how Ranger was going to deal with this.

Rafael's POV:

Oh crap! I could see by the way dad tensed that I was in the deep end of the shit now. He narrowed his eyes and looked at me. 'You want to rephrase the son?'

'Uh…gee dad…uh…sure. What I meant to say was, they aren't gonna give up until we face them together.'

Dad nodded. 'Then let's go explain to them the error of their ways. Let's go kick some Columbian asses and this time make sure they get the fucking message.'

I smiled, 'Oh yeah!'

Dad and I bumped fists and we made our way over to where the guys had them surrounded with their guns pointed at them. Dad's eyes narrowed and he said, "This is the last time you target my family."

It was a hot day today, nearly 102 degrees in the shade with not a breeze in sight. I knew what they were thinking; I could read them through momma. Suddenly her hair started blowing in the wind that was swirling around us. My eyes narrowed and I focused on the guns in their hands. Suddenly they were dropping their guns and screaming in pain, clutching their severely burned hands to them. I saw the way the one was looking at dad and what he was planning. My only thought was, 'Oh no. You will not hurt _my_ dad asshole!'

I sent the man flying through the air into the pit the construction crew had dug. My eyes lifted to the 3000 pounds dangling from the crane and I smiled as I severed the cord holding the weight. The looks on the faces of the others with him fed the monsters within all of us, calling each and every one of them out to play. Suddenly a SUV pulled up behind us and Diesel and Lainey got out. They joined us and I felt the power. I reached out to Lainey and momma looked into my eyes. 'I need to protect Mathew and Lainey. You'll need both hands free. There's someone else coming.'

Momma let Lainey take me and suddenly it felt like all the air was being sucked away. I narrowed my eyes and put up a barrier. A flash of light and then there he was before us. The cold black eyes and pale skin made him appear ghost like. He had the face of evil and when they saw him, the group of Columbians started smiling. I felt the attack on Lainey and I narrowed my eyes and focused before waving my hand and sending it back. The newcomer flinched back as if he'd been hit and then his evil face turned to look at me. He smiled and took a step towards me. Momma and Diesel stepped between us and the electricity danced in the sky.

Dad and the guys were taking on the Columbians while momma, Diesel and I took on the creature before us. He would send a blow our way but before it could land, momma and I were sending them back. I felt him getting weaker at one point and focused. My eyes widened as I realized his goal. I sent out the warning to momma and Diesel just in time. I let momma know I had this one and for her and Diesel to concentrate on the new one because he was stronger. I felt her gently probing to see if I was up to it and I told her not to worry because Mathew was pretty pissed this guy was taking on his momma and dad and planned to help me.

It was all over inside 20 minutes. The group of Columbians had been taken out by dad and the guys, and the two creepy guys were gone in a puff of smoke. Suddenly there was a healing whiteness around us and I felt the presence of such great power. Diesel looked up at the sky and I knew Mathew was copying his dad's actions. I was exhausted and didn't have much energy left. I knew momma was tired too. I reached out for her but before she could take me I felt myself engulfed in gentle hands. A voice inside my head spoke, 'You are stronger than we could have ever imagined.' I remained silent as I listened to their comments. One of them wanted me to be placed in the special place. He said they couldn't chance something happening to me. Others thought I was in the right place, with my parents. I looked at Diesel and he told them they would not take me from my momma. They argued for several minutes while I regained my strength.

Suddenly I had enough and I sent the electricity dancing through the air. 'I am where I am staying. You can't remove me from momma and dad.'

Momma took me in her arms and I felt the wind blowing her hair as the air around us turned hotter than it had ever been before. 'Rafael is my son. He stays with me and my husband.'

Dad came over and wrapped his arm around her waist. 'Our son stays with us.'

I could tell the invisible ones were surprised. One of them nodded to another and I knew there was a test coming. 'You can't see us, how do you intend to stop us?'

Dad narrowed his eyes and pulled us closer to him, then laid a hand on my back. He turned to me and nodded. I smiled and sent them a finger wave before I pushed them away like they were a bothersome fly. Then dad was saying, 'I'm proud of my son and trust him to make the right choices. He has Babe and I to help him. We will always be there for him to protect and love him. If you want to be on the fringes of his life then you need to let us do our job of raising him.'

I knew dad had won them over. All of them except one that is. I knew the motives of the one holdout. Suddenly he acted and I turned on him with narrowed eyes and simply thought, 'You are no more.' There was a puff of smoke and the rest of the group put up a wall. I showed them their wall was nothing and couldn't keep me out if I wanted in. Then dad's hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to him with all my love for him and momma there in my eyes for all to see.

'No son. I won't ask that of you.'

'I'd do it. For you and momma I would do anything.'

Dad shook his head, 'I know son. But I can't ask that price of you.'

I waved my hand and let them go. There was a collective sigh of relief. As quickly as they had come, they left. Diesel came over and placed a hand on my head. 'I'll make sure they leave you alone.'

I bumped fists with him and then the rest of the guys were there and we were all bumping fists. We all headed to Pino's and momma and I shared a loaded pizza while the guys had their own pizza. Once we had eaten lunch, momma and I were ready for a nap so we headed home and dad watched over us while I slept in their big bed with momma. We got up in plenty of time for my birthday party. All in all it was a pretty eventful birthday. At the end of the night, momma and dad, Tank and Lula, and Diesel and Lainey were all standing together as we said our goodnights. Lula was holding Lillie. Lillie turned to look at me and said, 'Hey Rafael, can you help me with that crawling shit? Every time I get up on my hands and knees, the only direction I can go is sliding backwards. It's pissing me off, you see what I'm saying dude?'

I smiled at Lillie and told her we'd work on it while Ella was watching us on Tuesday. She smiled and my eyes lit up as I saw the mischief in her eyes. Oh yeah! We were going to have a blast together while Ella was watching us. Lillie had some kick ass ideas and I couldn't wait to try them out. She smiled and I winked at her.

_Well, this is where I leave you. This has been A Year In The Life Of Rafael Manoso. For all of you who have come to love Rafael as much as I do don't worry. At some point there will be another sequel. I plan on taking a short break first though. Thank you all for coming along for the ride and thank you all for the wonderful reviews._


End file.
